PM unveils Dutch flood protection plans for Thessaly, plays down cotton farming concerns
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has presented flood protection proposals from Dutch experts for Greece’s central Thessaly plain to local officials, while playing down concerns about the possible abandonment of cotton farming.
“It’s a study that is not set in stone, but it offers clear directions for project implementation and necessary changes. It serves as a roadmap for collaboration and a catalyst for addressing the issues of Thessaly,” Mitsotakis said during the Monday meeting at Maximos Mansion.
The master plan, developed by the Netherlands-based HVA International, an agricultural firm specializing in post-disaster advice, was commissioned following last year’s devastating flooding caused by Storm Daniel.
The Greek prime minister emphasized that over 40 scientists from eight different fields, including hydrology, engineering, agronomy, and economics, invested more than 15,000 hours to prepare the comprehensive 400-page report.
According to Mitsotakis, the master plan advocates a holistic approach to water resource management in Thessaly, recognizing that “the damage from the overexploitation of groundwater in previous years could be irreversible.”
However, he reassured that concerns about the master plan advocating for local farmers to abandon cotton crops are unfounded.
“We should not have waited for Storm Daniel to recognize the depletion of Thessaly’s water resources. This does not imply that we should abruptly abandon cotton cultivation or initiate drastic interventions in crop restructuring. Neither does the study propose such actions. It would be unjust to focus solely on this aspect, disregarding the extensive analytical work conducted. Therefore, I want to clarify from the outset that this issue is not being raised,” he clarified.
Later on Monday, the prime minister was scheduled to meet with farmers from the same region.
