Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou on Wednesday called upon citizens and organizations to “fight” against water scarcity.
Addressing the first workshop in the series “Water Alliances / Knowledge-Solution-Action for the Future of Water”, the minister emphasized that the problem of water scarcity is common among countries. At the same time, he underlined that the problem for Greece is “timeless”, recalling similar challenges the country had faced in the early 1990s.
He outlined the three main goals in the direction of addressing water scarcity. The first concerns improving efficiency, which requires, as he pointed out, “a holistic approach to water supply and irrigation,” while the second is the finding and allocation of additional financial resources to strengthen infrastructure, from the repair of irrigation and water supply systems, to the replacement and expansion of networks, desalination, water reservoirs, etc.
“These are investments that cost a lot, but we have no more room for delay,” Papastavrou stressed.
The third goal is to save water, through raising awareness in society, identifying needs and taking short-term and medium-long-term measures, he pointed out.
The workshop was organized by the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), Public Water Company EYDAP, the TEE-TMEDE Institute and the “We are Greece” Institute.
PS Nice ‘political’ speech by the Environment Minister and we, the concerned citizens, will gladly join the efforts and measures once he also tells us what are they. Greece had a major water scarcity problem last year due to mild winter with much fewer rain- and snowfalls. Once the first raindrops fell in autumn, the problem seems to have forgotten on side side of the government, as if it was a temporary one.