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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WATERWater resources management onthe island of Crete: lessons learnedE. Baltas, Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens;and O. Tzoraki, Assistant Professor, School of Environment, University of AegeanThe island of Crete has limited water resources andgrowing water demands. Therefore, an important goal ofwater resources management on the island is to achievea hydrological balance and promote understanding in the localcommunity about the problem of water shortage. Lack of cooperationamong Crete’s several water authorities, institutions andservices has often meant that water issues enter a ‘labyrinth’, buta process of stakeholder participation at all stages of managementplan creation has resulted in a real influence on policydesign and implementation. In addition to effective cooperationamong end users, measures such as managed aquifer recharge,village connection to wastewater treatment plants, ecologicalriver flow, erosion elimination and flood control are now beingconsidered to prevent drought and ecological problems.In Mediterranean countries and especially in Greece, demand on freshwater is continuously increasing due to population growth, improvingliving standards and economic development. 1 The fact that the majorityof rainfall events occur during the autumn and winter months, andthat water demand increases during the summer, creates adiscrepancy between water supply and demand. The smalldrainage areas in many Greek islands, in combinationwith high slopes and restricted rainfall volumes, result inthe desiccation of rivers and wetlands during the summer.Common measures in the face water shortage includedam construction, river abstractions and overexploitationof groundwater. 2 The threat of seawater intrusion prohibitsthe use of existing, near-shore aquifers. At the sametime, climate change has limited water resource availability.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changeexpects that by 2050,the annual average river flow willhave decreased by 10-30 per cent over some dry regions atmid-latitudes and semi-arid low latitudes. 3 Consequently,extended areas of southern Europe are going to sufferfrom water stress and desertification. These complexitiesare posing great challenges to decision makers and watermanagers who are working to maintain both economicdevelopment and environmental protection.Mean annual precipitation on the island of CreteSource: Ministry of Environment, 2013[ 283 ]