Crete tourist guide

Growing water shortages in Crete

2025-01-23 20:41:18

The low rainfall in recent months is one of the most important topics in Crete. Despite the fact that it is an astronomical winter, the amount of rain and snow that has fallen so far is certainly insufficient. Unfortunately, weather forecasts for the coming "winter" weeks leave little doubt that Crete is facing an increasingly serious problem of water shortages.

The rains that came in December and mid-January are not enough to fill the reservoirs. Snow has only fallen in the highest parts of the mountains so far, so there is also too little of it to cover the deficit in water supplies. Unfortunately, the problem is getting bigger because this is the third dry winter in a row.

Just look at the numbers below showing the average amount of rain that fell in different places in December and January:

• Heraklion: 85 mm of rain in December and 15 mm in January
• Chania: 185 mm of rain in December and 40 mm in January
• Rethymno: 156 mm of rain in December and 24 mm in January
• Agios Nikolaos: 96 mm of rain in December and 9 mm in January

According to meteorological forecasts, spring weather will continue until the end of January, and a deterioration is predicted at the turn of February. However, further prospects for February are not favorable. At the moment, there is nothing to suggest that there will be more precipitation.

The seriousness of the water shortage problem is demonstrated by the decision taken at a meeting convened by the Crete Development Organization. It was decided to further reduce the water intake by the municipalities of Heraklion, Hersonissos and Agios Nikolaos from the Aposelemi dam from 500 cubic meters of water to 350 m3. Reducing the water supply to these municipalities will allow for securing water supplies until March. At present, the Aposelemi dam contains 2,300,000 cubic meters of water, of which 1,380,000 cubic meters will remain available until the end of March due to the reduction in the amount of water supplied to the municipalities. Another meeting will be convened at the beginning of March to make a new assessment of the situation.

The sensible management of dwindling water resources is particularly important for the tourist season. A large number of tourists, an increased demand for water in the summer months. This is a burden that will be increasingly difficult to cope with. This is all the more important in the perspective of the fact that Crete increasingly relies on the tourism industry for its economy. It is therefore worth mentioning the new regulations that the Greek government introduced a few days ago. One of the points in the Tourism Act is to allow tourist facilities to pump seawater for use in swimming pools. This is intended to save water resources, especially in areas with water shortages, while also ensuring a sustainable supply of fresh water during the peak months of the tourist season.

Gosia,  2025-01-23 20:41:18

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