Thessaly Could Turn into a Desert Without Urgent Action

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Thessaly could face a dramatic transformation in the coming decades as increasingly severe and prolonged drought threatens the region’s agricultural heartland, researchers at the University of Thessaly warn.

Studies by the university’s Laboratory of Hydrology and Analysis of Water Systems show that drought episodes in the Thessaly water district are expected to increase significantly. Researchers estimate that drought events could almost double between 2070 and 2100, while becoming more severe, lasting longer and affecting a larger share of the region.

The findings form part of broader research conducted by the Laboratory of Hydrology and Analysis of Water Systems within the Department of Civil Engineering.

The research also identifies a significant increase in drought severity during the 2070-2100 period under both socioeconomic climate-change scenarios examined. The projections indicate a clear shift from low-to-moderate drought conditions towards high-severity drought events.

Growing human pressure on water resources

Professor Nikitas Mylopoulos of the University of Thessaly told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) that a recent assessment of the region’s water resources confirms the enormous pressure that human activity has placed on Thessaly’s water system for decades.

Irrigation creates a greater demand for water in Thessaly than in other water districts across Greece.

The imbalance between water supply and demand has affected much of the region. It has contributed to major environmental and economic damage, including the depletion of underground aquifers and a serious reduction in flows along the Pinios River.

Researchers describe the situation as both an environmental and development challenge that requires targeted action.

The most acute problem comes during June, July and August, when crops require large quantities of water while available supplies decline.

Drought has already had a major impact

Research into meteorological droughts in Thessaly found that the 1989-1990 drought had a return period of more than 80 years and affected more than 50% of the region.

The western mountainous areas experienced the greatest impact. These areas include the sources of the Pinios River and its major tributaries.

The severe drought reduced irrigated farmland, leading to lower crop yields and further depletion of both underground and surface water resources.

The expansion of wells into the region’s karst system and uncontrolled water extraction, particularly from private wells during the summer months, have also placed additional pressure on water reserves.

What drought means

Researchers describe drought as an extreme environmental phenomenon that can take different forms depending on the variable used to measure it and the climate of the affected region.

Unlike events such as floods and storms, drought usually develops over a long period and occurs when available water resources fall below adequate levels.

Its critical threshold varies from one region to another. Researchers therefore assess drought according to its severity, duration and geographical extent, as well as its type.

The main categories include:

• Meteorological drought: A significant reduction in atmospheric precipitation over a specific period compared with the region’s average, or below a critical threshold that marks the onset of drought.
• Agricultural drought: A reduction in soil moisture severe enough to significantly affect agricultural production.
• Hydrological drought: A shortage involving not only precipitation but also surface and groundwater flows.
• Water-system or socio-economic drought: A situation in which water supply falls below water demand.

The research highlights the growing challenge facing Thessaly: a combination of climate change, intensive irrigation and declining water reserves could place unprecedented pressure on one of Greece’s most important agricultural regions in the decades ahead.

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