Greek Islands Struggle with Drought Amid Surging Tourist Demand

Astypalaia reports that seven Aegean islands have declared drought emergencies this year to conserve water as rising temperatures and irregular rainfall linked to climate change intensify.
Officials question whether next year’s rains will be enough to support the thousands of visitors whose demand strains supplies precisely when residents need water most.
The butterfly‑shaped island of Astypalaia, dependent on bottled water for drinking, lies east of the Greek mainland and missed the rains that drenched the north and west, delivering Greece its wettest winter since 2022.
Local data show Astypalaia’s southeastern Aegean location experienced its second‑driest season since 2020, posing tough choices for authorities.
“If we gathered every drop of rain that fell over the year in a bucket, it would measure just 2.5 cm deep,” said Mayor Nikos Komineas, standing beside the island’s only reservoir—a man‑made lake encircled by dry hills and sparse low scrub, constructed in the mid‑1990s.

Authorities cut off farmer Evdokia Palatianou from the man‑made lake in April to preserve water, leaving her orchard vegetables to wither as she turned to brackish well water.
“If it doesn’t rain, I won’t plant anything,” said the 71‑year‑old Palatianou, standing beside a dead mandarin tree in Livadi, the island’s primary farming area.
The lake that supplies household and irrigation water for Livadi and the capital, Chora, now holds about 150,000 cubic meters—just one‑sixth of its total capacity.
With summer demand averaging roughly 900 cubic meters per day, the reserve would last only five and a half months.
In May officials declared a water emergency, fast‑tracking a temporary desalination plant for Chora capable of producing 600 cubic meters daily and suspending irrigation for Livadi farmers to protect the lake’s stores until autumn, Komineas explained.
“We made this decision reluctantly, but thankfully an alternative exists for them,” he said, adding that farmers will be reconnected if the Livadi reservoir refills with rain.

The Copernicus European Drought Observatory highlighted Astypalaia in orange on its June map, flagging the onset of drought conditions.
In the eastern coastal village of Analipsi, sheep and goat herders transport water to fill storage tanks or resort to low‑quality borehole supplies.
Although a desalination plant provides tap water to Analipsi, it cannot meet the seasonal surge that raises the population from 1,400 to 7,000 in midsummer; consequently, a temporary second unit was installed in Chora while a permanent facility awaits completion later this year.
Greece’s islands host dozens of energy‑intensive desalination plants; Komineas noted the temporary unit serves as a drought stopgap, though he acknowledged its high operating cost.
“My biggest concern is what will happen if the rains fail again this year,” he said.

Several hoteliers on Astypalaia have introduced water‑saving initiatives.
Maria Alkalai, 42, who runs a hillside hotel in Chora overlooking the castle and the Aegean Sea, gives guests a five‑euro voucher when they opt out of daily housekeeping.
“Guests have welcomed the offer,” she said. She also imagines a future hotel on the island that would collect rainwater in a cistern rather than feature a pool or hot tub.
Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou has earmarked €15 million (about $17 million) for desalination, grid upgrades and water storage on nine of Greece’s more than 200 inhabited islands, allocating €1.5 million to Astypalaia. In June he presented the plan to fellow environment ministers in Luxembourg, emphasizing water resilience.
“For Greece, water is far from theoretical—it underpins security, economic vitality and the safeguarding of local communities,” he remarked. The Athens‑based National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” warns that drought could intensify by 2049 as global temperatures climb, worsening water scarcity on the vulnerable islands.

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