‘Boreholes are bringing up air, not water’

Most of Greece's rural areas are currently facing water rationing due to severe drought and water scarcity, which is impacting crop yields. Peach, nectarine, apricot and plum trees in northern Greece are suffering from water shortages and underperforming. Producers warn that "the quality of the fruit will be below expectations." In Messara, southern Crete, vegetables grown in greenhouses have dried up due to a lack of irrigation, resulting in a significant drop in production.

Meanwhile, in Thessaly, central Greece, a seemingly paradoxical situation is unfolding: Areas still dealing with the aftermath of last September's floods are now experiencing severe water shortages that hinder irrigation for corn and other grains, cotton and industrial tomatoes. Large regions of Karditsa and Larissa rely on Local Organizations of Land Reclamation (TOEB) for irrigation from Lake Plastira...