Water Resources Management and Policy in Greece: Challenges and Options

The current effort examines existing conditions and tries to pinpoint inherited problems for water resources management in Greece. Existing multifaceted crises are (1) water supply and demand having both a (predominantly) natural and an engineering dimension; (2) deteriorating water quality issues falling within ecologic considerations; (3) transboundary dependency is a geopolitical conundrum requiring multi-national agreements, and international water transfers across administrative boundaries; (4) the organization and management of water resources are also problematic; and (5) data paucity and information deficit define a technological challenge ahead. Furthermore, in many areas, water scarcity leads to excessive economic costs, which raise the question of water as a free social good, not as a commodity. The implementation of appropriate water policies may contribute in achieving a quality environment, particularly in urban areas, in an effort to minimize environmental costs, and moving toward sustainable consumption. Overall, to be sustainable, such options must interact smoothly with other societal systems, adapting at the same time to changes and uncertainties in supplies and demands. As a result, a framework of strategic policy options may be forwarded, with different objectives: incorporation of advanced mechanisms for demand management; use of sustainable water technologies; public participation in decision-making; water auditing; and changes in pertinent environmental considerations. It is believed that today’s management in water resources systems must consider an approach able to achieve a decision process involving multiple objectives, sources, decision-makers, users, constituencies, and multiple stakeholders.