Danger for Greek shorelines

• Category: News

Research over the past sixty years has shown that Greek shorelines are receding by almost 2 to 2.5 meters every year. This phenomenon is attributed to the climatic changes brought on by global warming and earthquakes.
Water levels in the rivers and the seas are rising due to global warming, thereby eating up coastlines slowly but surely. Wind speeds in the Aegean that barely exceeded 9-10 on the Beaufort scale 5 decades ago now lash the shorelines at 14 Beaufort. This speeds up soil erosion and further causes loss of coastal areas.
The threat is very real to the coasts of Corfu, Alexandropoulis, Porto Lagos, the Thermaic Gulf and northern Crete. It is believed that in a few years Vistonida Lake will completely disappear, turning into a bay.
The consequences faced will be dire, especially when it comes to water. As the saline sea water creeps inwards, it will swamp the fresh water table and make water undrinkable. For every 1m rise in sea level, the land recedes 100m and this is indeed a scary thought.
Averting such disaster may not seem a likely option but through active, awareness creating programs, one may slow down the process.