Addressing the problem of water scarcity with a national plan is an urgent reform need, as emphasized during a meeting held today by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion.
During the meeting on the problem of water scarcity and the main ways to deal with it, it became clear that, in the first year, answers must be found to today's pressing needs and, in the medium to long term, the country must prepare for the major challenges of the next 30 years.
The prime minister stressed that water is and will remain a public good and a vital resource, and should be treated as such.
The meeting included a detailed presentation of scientific data, which clearly shows the scale of the problem caused by the climate crisis in all Mediterranean countries, especially considering that Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world.
Based on the data, our country ranks 19th worldwide in terms of water scarcity risk. Dam levels are at historically low levels, and it is indicative that reserves in Attica have decreased by more than 50% compared to 2022.
Given these circumstances, a holistic approach to addressing the issue of fragmentation among different agencies was decided upon. The government is going to make some big changes to how water is managed in the country, moving to a more functional system that's more efficient and gets more investment. This effort will make use of new technologies and complementary methods of water production, such as desalination.
The five key pillars of the plan are:
– Water is and will remain a public good, as stipulated by the Constitution and the case law of the Council of State.
– Sustainable water supply, irrigation, and sewerage companies, aiming for acceptable costs for all uses
– Holistic design and central management of all necessary projects, large and small
– Urgent initiatives over the next six months, combined with a public information and awareness campaign
– New technologies and complementary methods of water production (desalination, recycling, and reuse)
The above axes are expected to be specified in the near future.
The plan emphasized that it would also lay the foundations for the implementation of projects that have already been launched or are under consideration. More than 1,200 water management and utilization projects are currently underway, of which 1,090 relate to water supply and 237 to irrigation.
As noted, these projects are in addition to the 278 that have already been completed from 2019 to date. However, it has become clear that there is an obvious need for further investment and a more coordinated effort to address this major social and national issue.
