Water in the islands: status overview

Transcription

1 Water in the islands: status overview Konstantina Toli Senior Programme Officer, Head of European Union, GWP-Med

2 Islands -Facts 3.5% of the European citizens live in islands More than 50,000 islands on the European Continent, 500 islands are larger than 20 km 2 and they have a total area of over 700,000 km 2 or more than 7 per cent of Europe s surface area. Fragile ecosystems 2/10 2 Dec. 2016

3 Water Scarcity Limited fresh water resources due to small size Irregular and uncertain rainfall patterns Frequent over-exploitation of aquifers Water supply infrastructure also under increased pressure Greek islands (2010): water scarcity crisis cost 11 million for water transfer. 3/10 2 Dec. 2016

4 Droughts Droughts induced by lack of precipitation or El Niño Fiji (2015): many communities are experiencing the effects of an El Niño-induced drought, with farmers losing crops and water supplies drying out and water trucking underway Solomon Islands (2016) food security concerns after repeated interruptions to crop cultivation as result of cyclones, floods and drought conditions last year. 4/10 2 Dec. 2016

5 Floods Flash floods are increasing, due to climate variability and change Madeira (2010, 2016): floods and mudslides due to heavy and sudden rainfall in February 2010 led to considerable destruction of transport infrastructure (roads), housing, electricity, port infrastructure, and tourist facilities. Costs of the flooding were 1,080 million most of which related to damages to the water infrastructure followed by the road infrastructure -do not include human and natural biodiversity and habitats losses 5/10 2 Dec. 2016

6 Tourism Climate change impacts: Increased temperatures lengthen the summer period. E.g. Aegean islands > 15mi overnight stays/yr & the population over summer is 30 times greater Water supply problems in tourist resorts are increasingly common. Increased demands for water are met through desalination and water transfers by tankers The cumulative cost of climate change for drinking water supply for the period has been estimated to % of GDP 6/10 2 Dec. 2016

7 Agriculture An important economic activity, threatened by water scarcity, droughts and salinisation Increasing salinity of groundwater reserves has implications on crop cultivation, especially along the coast. Water resource loss is expected to lead to a 1.69 per cent decline in GDP for Greece in a high-impact climate change scenario 7/10 2 Dec. 2016

8 Non Conventional Water Resources Limited rainwater harvesting schemes due to abandoned or obsolete traditional systems Limited water reuse schemes Increased needs for desalination to cover the gap in the water budget, with impacts on environment and energy demands 8/10 2 Dec. 2016

9 The way forward some recommendations In 1991 UNESCO published the extensive Hydrology and water resources of small islands: a practical guide, which includes practices and technologies that may still be adopted today, using contemporary and improved technological solutions. Yet innovation is needed to provide custom-made solutions for the islands fragile environment. Group of islands work together in all parts of the world, as they share common challenges. Micro-islands and mega-islands can form clusters where appropriate policy changes and measures can be promoted A nexus approach shall be considered are all are interlinked Adopt and expand current Sustainability trends and Smart trends Promote cooperation, exchange of knowledge, capacity building Update regulatory frameworks Facilitate processes Follow technological advancements and innovation Invest also in education and awareness raising: Water conservation and cautious consumption/use should be pivotal in any strategy 9/10 2 Dec. 2016

10 For more information: GWPMed 10/10 2 Dec. 2016