Managing Groundwater in Costal Areas in GreeceManaging Groundwater in Costal Areas in Greece

Maria Gkini Head of Directorate for Water Protection and Management / Special Secretariat for Water

3rd GEF IW LEARN – UNESCO INTEGRATION DIALOGUE Managing Groundwater in Coastal Areas and SIDSSharing of Experiences among GEF IW Projects

Coastal areas are particularly significant mainly because of:

urban development (cities historically located near rivers for water supply and on coasts for transportation)

tourism, and important wetlandsagricultural activities (mostly in flatlands

immediately behind coastal zone)

Costal areas

Significance of groundwater in coastal areas mainly as:

source of supply for drinking water support of wetlands source of supply for agricultural activities

Groundwater in Costal Areas

Exploitation of groundwater to date is often unsustainable with result saline water intrusion water quality unsuitable for drinking and agricultural

uses (significant impacts on economy) stress on wetlands.

Pollution of groundwater resources through irrigation, wastewater disposal and other activities also results additional stress.

Groundwater in Costal Areas

In this contex is Imperative to manage the groundwater resources in a sustainable way.

Groundwaters are part of the total water resources and should be managed in context of integrated water resources management according to the Water Framework Directive

Groundwater management in Costal Areas

The WFD foresees the integrated (holistic) management of

surface water (rivers, lakes, transitional, coastal) and groundwater)

has the objective of delivering good SW status & good GW quality and adequate quantity in 2015 (or at justifiably later dates)

foresees (economically reasonable) measures where necessary to ensure the achievement of the above

stipulates periodic review of the status and measures foresees the development of RBMPs to achieve the above

in a systematic way foresees consultations with all the stakeholders in order

to achieve consensus

Groundwater management in Costal Areas - WFD and RBMPs

Challenges regarding Groundwater

Lack of detailed information regarding boreholes and abstractions, especially. for irrigationGR is implementing a plan for their registration (National Register of Water Abstraction)

Slow rate of GW recovery from saline intrusion and pollution

Main Measures regarding Groundwater management

Measures foreseen regarding GWQ introduction of metering for GW abstraction incentives to reduce pollution from fertilizers (also in

context of nitrate Directive) designation of protected zones in GWBs used for

drinking supply abstraction control in sensitive areas and or in areas

vulnerable to salinity intrusion

The first cycle of RBMPs has been completed and the measures are in the implementation stage