Neos Kosmos — Crete is facing its driest year in more than almost thirty years. According to the local water management authorities, only 3.8 billion cubic meters of rainwater have fallen on the Island since September 2017, far below the normal amounts. For more than four decades, the average annual rainfall has been 7.6 billion cubic meters. This year’s numbers are equivalent to the 1989-1990 draught season, when the island saw 4.1 billion cubic meters of rainfall.
The island’s authorities have been trying to find ways to tackle the problem and avoid any subsequent problems ensuing in the high-tourist season.
In that regard, the Department of Water of the Decentralized Administration of Crete, has laid out a series of proposed preventive measures, such as accelerating water storage works, monitoring networks, locating leaks, searching for alternative water supplies, reducing waste, informing users control of groundwater and surface water levels and the reduction of cultivations that require a lot of water.
“With proper management there will be no particular problems,” said the head of the authority, Marinos Kritsotakis, speaking to the Athens News Agency.
