Greece declares emergency on at least 12 islands over water shortage

The Greek government has declared a state of emergency on a minimum of twelve islands after severe drought, rising water consumption and inadequate infrastructure strained water supplies. Environment and Water Resources General Secretary Petros Varelidis warned that the shortage is not temporary and that new tourism projects must consider existing capacity. He noted that in some islands up to 60 % of water is lost before reaching taps, highlighting the need to renew aging pipelines before new facilities are built. Efthimios Lekkas, chair of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Agency (OASP), warned that over‑extraction is increasing the risk of seawater infiltrating underground fresh‑water reserves. Experts said desalination could help but is costly and energy‑intensive, making it an unsustainable sole solution. The crisis affects both residents and tourists on islands such as Leros, Karpathos, Alonnisos, Tinos, Meganisi, Astypalea, Symi and Patmos, prompting water‑saving measures, night‑time supply cuts and discussions of mobile desalination units.