Greece unveils five-pillar plan to tackle growing water scarcity

Greece announced a new national strategy on Wednesday to combat mounting water scarcity, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a high-level meeting at Maximos Mansion to outline the government’s response to what officials called an urgent and escalating crisis.

The five-pillar strategy aims to overhaul the country’s fragmented water management system and prepare for long-term challenges posed by the climate crisis. Greece currently ranks 19th globally in terms of water stress, according to scientific data presented at the meeting. Reservoir levels across the country have dropped sharply, with water reserves in the greater Athens area now more than 50% lower than in 2022.

“Water is and will remain a public good and a vital resource – it must be treated as such,” Mitsotakis said, stressing the need for a coordinated national approach.

Like other Mediterranean countries, Greece is facing intensifying drought conditions as temperatures rise. Officials noted that Europe is the fastest-warming continent, further compounding the problem.

The government’s strategy includes affirming water as a public good in accordance with the Constitution and top court rulings, supporting sustainable and affordable services for water supply, irrigation and sewage, and implementing centralized, integrated planning for both large- and small-scale infrastructure projects. It also calls for urgent short-term measures to be enacted within the next six months, alongside a national public awareness campaign. Finally, the plan prioritizes the use of new technologies, such as desalination, recycling, and water reuse systems.

The plan is designed to boost efficiency, improve service delivery, and attract investment in critical infrastructure. Officials said more than 1,200 water-related projects are currently underway nationwide – 1,090 related to water supply and 237 focused on irrigation. An additional 278 projects have been completed since 2019.

Detailed measures and timelines are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, providing the framework for both current and future water infrastructure initiatives.

“There is an obvious need for greater investment and a more coordinated effort to tackle this major social and national challenge,” a government official said.