LAKE MORNOS, Greece (AP) — Beneath the surface of water reservoirs lie sunken villages, remnants of the past that often remain hidden. However, the ruins of Kallio, a village submerged in the late 1970s to create the artificial Lake Mornos, are now surfacing due to a significant drought. This drought, driven by climate change, has gripped much of southern Europe this summer, causing the water levels at Lake Mornos — the largest of four reservoirs supplying drinking water to Athens — to drop to their lowest point in 16 years.
As the water recedes, the remains of Kallio become increasingly visible. Colonies of freshwater mussels cling to the cracked stone structures, their empty shells tinkling softly in the wind, harmonizing with the distant sounds of cowbells from grazing herds around the lake.
While Greek officials assure the public that there is no immediate cause for concern, the future remains uncertain. If the drought continues without intervention, Athens may face severe water shortages within the next four years. Authorities are urging residents to be mindful of their water use and conserve whenever possible.
Costas Koutsoubas, the deputy mayor of the nearby Doris municipality, expressed worry over the prolonged dry spell that has lasted three years. “If the current weather trend continues, and there’s insufficient rainfall or snowfall, we could be facing a critical situation by next year,” he warned. “What we need are heavy rainfalls, day and night, for several days.”
According to Eydap, the Athens water authority, the city’s water reserves for its nearly 3.6 million residents have plunged from 1.13 billion cubic meters two years ago to just 678 million cubic meters this September. Lake Mornos currently holds approximately 335 million cubic meters of water, down from 592 million in September 2022 — the lowest level since 2008, when it dropped to 210 million cubic meters.
The situation is dire not only for Athens, as many regions of Greece have experienced dry winters and scorching summers for the past two years, leading to a series of devastating wildfires. Last month, a wildfire northeast of Athens destroyed numerous homes and affected an area nearly twice the size of Manhattan.
With tourism booming and a spike in water usage during the summer months, some areas of Greece are facing water shortages, empty irrigation reservoirs, and dried-up boreholes. In response, the Environment and Energy Ministry announced last week that Eydap would reopen existing boreholes north of Athens and draw from a backup reservoir. The ministry also plans to take further action over the next four years, aiming to reduce water network leaks, access more distant rivers, and recycle wastewater for agricultural and industrial purposes.
The ministry’s statement mentioned that if necessary, additional water conservation measures would be introduced later on, urging citizens to engage in responsible water usage.
Concerns continue to grow about the repercussions of climate change and increasing temperatures, causing a higher likelihood of droughts. When the reservoir was created, the decision to submerge Kallio’s 60 to 70 homes and several water mills was deemed a small sacrifice for the greater benefit of the region. Most residents relocated to Athens or other cities, while a few moved to higher ground away from the lake.
Now, as water levels decline, they can finally see the ruins of their former homes. “Leaving was very hard for us; it was a wonderful village,” reminisced Constantinos Gerodimos, a 90-year-old farmer. “We had plenty of water, lush orchards, everything you could imagine. People from other villages would come here to fetch water.”
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This story was contributed by Associated Press writer Theodora Tongas, who is reporting from Lake Mornos, Greece.
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For more on AP’s climate coverage, visit http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.
