Greener Greece needed

EU commissioner calls for more steps on environmental front

As parts of the country’s key tourist and farming areas head for water shortages this summer due to poor resource management, Brussels called on Greece to pick up the pace on infrastructure projects that will help to avoid future environmental problems.

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in an interview with Sunday’s Kathimerini that Greece needs to sharply improve its track record on green issues.

“Economic studies show that when it comes to protecting the environment, the cost of not taking any steps is far higher than the cost of taking action,” Dimas said.

“The distance that Greece needs to cover to reach a satisfactory level of environmental infrastructure projects remains large,” he added.

One of the key areas in which Greece has been slow to act is improved water management.

Despite the country being seen as one of the Mediterranean nations with plenty of water, farmers this year will be forced to drill for new underground reserves in the Thessaly region in central Greece.

Experts have pointed out, however, that ground-level water reserves are not being used efficiently due to a lack of proper facilities.

The popular Cycladic Islands are also facing water shortages, a common problem for the area.

Improved rainfall in recent years had resulted in fewer islands shipping in water from other areas but the tactic looks certain to return this summer.

The cost of transporting a cubic meter of water from Athens reaches 7 euros, while the same amount of water produced by a desalination unit can be had for 2 euros.

The government announced last week that desalination plants will be introduced to eight Cycladic islands.

Dimas also called on Greece to reduce its dependence on lignite-powered energy, which adds to harmful carbon emissions.

“It is in the country’s interest to detach itself from the use of lignite and turn toward renewable energy sources.” the commissioner added.