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Russia Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU to call on members to reduce water consumption
The European Commission is reportedly planning to call on EU member states to cut water use by at least 10 percent by 2030, according to a draft plan seen by the Financial Times. The legislation would mark the Commission's first water-usage reduction directive in the history of the EU. The proposal comes amid rising concerns about droughts and groundwater depletion following increasingly frequent wildfires and catastrophic flooding which have cost the EU billions and has reduced water reserves to previously unseen levels. 'We need to think about how we need to use water more efficiently,' EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall told the outlet, stressing that 'when we have a shower, we need to think about it.' A ban on refilling swimming pools is already in place across southern Europe. Haris Sachinis, CEO of Greek water company Eydap, has warned that Athens could completely run out of water within two years if dry conditions persist. Cypriot Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou has warned that 2025 could be the island's third consecutive drought year and among the eight worst for water reserves in half a century. Sweden has also imposed bans on watering gardens with a hose in some areas while In France and Spain, disputes over dams and water rights have fueled tensions between farmers and environmentalists. Last year, the EU's environmental policies, including limits on pesticide use and water usage reductions, led to widespread protests from farmers and agricultural groups across the bloc, including in France, Spain, Germany, and Poland. The EC's draft plan calls for greater investment in the bloc's leaking infrastructure. The EurEau industry group has estimated that some 25% of EU water is lost through pipe leaks, with some countries such as Bulgaria losing up to 60%. The Commission has estimated that €23 billion ($26 billion) is needed annually for upgrades. The European Investment Bank also plans to offer €15 billion ($17 billion) in loans and guarantees between 2025 and 2027 to support the effort. Additionally, researchers found that only 2.4% of water is currently reused in the EU, a figure Brussels wants to raise. Although the savings target is not binding, the Commission is encouraging national targets and better data collection. A recent climate assessment found that only a 'limited number' of countries have adopted water resilience measures. The proposal follows a 2023 warning about rising competition for water and potential cross-border conflicts. The European Central Bank has separately warned that water scarcity poses a financial threat, with surface water shortages potentially affecting nearly 15% of eurozone GDP.
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU to order members to reduce water consumption
The European Commission is reportedly planning to call on EU member states to cut water use by at least 10 percent by 2030, according to a draft plan seen by the Financial Times. The legislation would mark the Commission's first water-usage reduction directive in the history of the EU. The proposal comes amid rising concerns about droughts and groundwater depletion following increasingly frequent wildfires and catastrophic flooding which have cost the EU billions and has reduced water reserves to previously unseen levels. 'We need to think about how we need to use water more efficiently,' EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall told the outlet, stressing that 'when we have a shower, we need to think about it.' A ban on refilling swimming pools is already in place across southern Europe. Haris Sachinis, CEO of Greek water company Eydap, has warned that Athens could completely run out of water within two years if dry conditions persist. Cypriot Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou has warned that 2025 could be the island's third consecutive drought year and among the eight worst for water reserves in half a century. Sweden has also imposed bans on watering gardens with a hose in some areas while In France and Spain, disputes over dams and water rights have fueled tensions between farmers and environmentalists. Last year, the EU's environmental policies, including limits on pesticide use and water usage reductions, led to widespread protests from farmers and agricultural groups across the bloc, including in France, Spain, Germany, and Poland. The EC's draft plan calls for greater investment in the bloc's leaking infrastructure. The EurEau industry group has estimated that some 25% of EU water is lost through pipe leaks, with some countries such as Bulgaria losing up to 60%. The Commission has estimated that €23 billion ($26 billion) is needed annually for upgrades. The European Investment Bank also plans to offer €15 billion ($17 billion) in loans and guarantees between 2025 and 2027 to support the effort. Additionally, researchers found that only 2.4% of water is currently reused in the EU, a figure Brussels wants to raise. Although the savings target is not binding, the Commission is encouraging national targets and better data collection. A recent climate assessment found that only a 'limited number' of countries have adopted water resilience measures. The proposal follows a 2023 warning about rising competition for water and potential cross-border conflicts. The European Central Bank has separately warned that water scarcity poses a financial threat, with surface water shortages potentially affecting nearly 15% of eurozone GDP.
South China Morning Post
03-03-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Athens revives 2,000-year-old aqueduct to combat water shortage
In a suburban area of Athens, the capital of Greece, workers are repairing a pump. The pump is connected to an ancient stone well that accesses an aqueduct built almost 2,000 years ago. Officials are using European Union money to restore access to Hadrian's Aqueduct. It is a 24km underground channel named after the Roman emperor, who funded its construction in the year 140. Experts have hailed it as an 'engineering marvel'. Last year, public utility company Eydap repeatedly warned Athenians to save drinking water as reserves shrank. The Greek capital has been battling soaring temperatures and creaking infrastructure. Katerina Apostolopoulou, who manages the project at Eydap, said the water from the aqueduct would not be of drinking quality. Instead, it would be used 'to clean or to irrigate parks and gardens' in the summer. Answer: to help Athens deal with a water shortage
Khaleej Times
13-02-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
Arid Athens turns to ancient aqueduct as climate crisis bites
Between parked cars in a suburban street in Athens, workers fix a pump to an ancient stone well that in turn accesses an aqueduct built almost 2,000 years ago. The Greek capital, one of Europe's hottest and most densely populated cities, is going to great lengths — and depths — to battle soaring summer temperatures and creaking infrastructure. Officials are tapping European Union money to help restore access to Hadrian's Aqueduct, a 24km underground channel named after the Roman emperor who funded its construction in the year 140. It is hailed by experts as an "engineering marvel". Last year, public utility company Eydap repeatedly warned Athenians they needed to save drinking water as reserves shrank. Eydap's Katerina Apostolopoulou, who manages the project in the Chalandri suburb, around 10km from central Athens, said the water would not be of drinking quality and instead would be used "to clean or to irrigate parks and gardens" in summer. She pointed out that Athenians would normally need to use the drinking water network for their gardens and parks, so she hoped the new pump would help save the valuable resource. War shelter The aqueduct, which begins at the foot of Mount Parnitha, is fed by an aquifer, explained geologist Yannis Dafnos. A gentle slope from the mountain helps the water flow down naturally into the city centre. The Chalandri well is more than 20 metres deep and part of a network of 300 ancient wells, Dafnos said as he lifted the heavy iron cover. George Sachinis, Eydap's director of strategy and innovation, called the aqueduct an "archaeological and engineering marvel". He urged planners to use it to create more green spaces in a city hit hard by the climate crisis. "It is one of the most important ancient aqueducts in Europe," he said. The aqueduct helped supply the city for hundreds of years but fell into disuse after the Roman era. Athenians began to reuse it at the end of the 19th century but it was abandoned again after two dams were constructed near the city. During the Nazi occupation (1941-1944) and then the ensuing Greek civil war, one of the Chalandri wells that it is now dry was used as a shelter, said Christos Giovanopoulos, who heads Cultural Hidrant, a heritage management project at Chalandri town hall. The restoration project is part of "the promotion of sustainable development in Athens", he said, adding that water was often wasted. 'Collaborates with nature' He said the Chalandri project aimed to promote green spaces and improve the microclimate through water recycling, while highlighting the archaeological and cultural importance of the entire monument. A few years ago, Chalandri residents had to zigzag to avoid the well, which at the time was located in the middle of the street, Giovanopoulos said. Now, the northern Athens suburb will be the first of eight municipalities in the Athens region to benefit from the reuse of the aqueduct's water. An adjacent dry well has been fitted with a ladder to allow visitors to descend and view parts of the ancient conduit. The aqueduct eventually reaches the centre of Athens at the foot of Lycabettus Hill, once the site of a Roman reservoir. Only a few parts of the original reservoir construction remain. The existing structure with stone columns and arches is largely a reconstruction from the nineteenth century. At the very bottom, in the ancient canal, "a few parts of the roof built by the Romans to prevent rocks from falling into the aqueduct remain", Sachinis said. "It is an elegant piece of infrastructure that respects and collaborates perfectly with nature," he said. "Thanks to this aqueduct, there are plans to create more green space around the original reservoir", he added.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Arid Athens turns to ancient aqueduct as climate crisis bites
Between parked cars in a suburban street in Athens, workers fix a pump to an ancient stone well that in turn accesses an aqueduct built almost 2,000 years ago. The Greek capital, one of Europe's hottest and most densely populated cities, is going to great lengths -- and depths -- to battle soaring summer temperatures and creaking infrastructure. Officials are tapping European Union money to help restore access to Hadrian's Aqueduct, a 24-kilometre (15-mile) underground channel named after the Roman emperor who funded its construction in the year 140. It is hailed by experts as an "engineering marvel". Last year, public utility company Eydap repeatedly warned Athenians they needed to save drinking water as reserves shrank. Eydap's Katerina Apostolopoulou, who manages the project in the Chalandri suburb, around 10 kilometres from central Athens, said the water would not be of drinking quality and instead would be used "to clean or to irrigate parks and gardens" in summer. She pointed out that Athenians would normally need to use the drinking water network for their gardens and parks, so she hoped the new pump would help save the valuable resource. - War shelter - The aqueduct, which begins at the foot of Mount Parnitha, is fed by an aquifer, explained geologist Yannis Dafnos. A gentle slope from the mountain helps the water flow down naturally into the city centre. The Chalandri well is more than 20 metres deep and part of a network of 300 ancient wells, Dafnos said as he lifted the heavy iron cover. George Sachinis, Eydap's director of strategy and innovation, called the aqueduct an "archaeological and engineering marvel". He urged planners to use it to create more green spaces in a city hit hard by the climate crisis. "It is one of the most important ancient aqueducts in Europe," he said. The aqueduct helped supply the city for hundreds of years but fell into disuse after the Roman era. Athenians began to reuse it at the end of the 19th century but it was abandoned again after two dams were constructed near the city. During the Nazi occupation (1941-1944) and then the ensuing Greek civil war, one of the Chalandri wells that it is now dry was used as a shelter, said Christos Giovanopoulos, who heads Cultural Hidrant, a heritage management project at Chalandri town hall. The restoration project is part of "the promotion of sustainable development in Athens", he said, adding that water was often wasted. - 'Collaborates with nature' - He said the Chalandri project aimed to promote green spaces and improve the microclimate through water recycling, while highlighting the archaeological and cultural importance of the entire monument. A few years ago, Chalandri residents had to zigzag to avoid the well, which at the time was located in the middle of the street, Giovanopoulos said. Now, the northern Athens suburb will be the first of eight municipalities in the Athens region to benefit from the reuse of the aqueduct's water. An adjacent dry well has been fitted with a ladder to allow visitors to descend and view parts of the ancient conduit. The aqueduct eventually reaches the centre of Athens at the foot of Lycabettus Hill, once the site of a Roman reservoir. Only a few parts of the original reservoir construction remain. The existing structure with stone columns and arches is largely a reconstruction from the nineteenth century. At the very bottom, in the ancient canal, "a few parts of the roof built by the Romans to prevent rocks from falling into the aqueduct remain", Sachinis said. "It is an elegant piece of infrastructure that respects and collaborates perfectly with nature," he said. "Thanks to this aqueduct, there are plans to create more green space around the original reservoir", he added. hec/jph/jxb/js
