Natural hazards and anthropic pressure
The Greek islands are subject to natural hazards: earthquakes, drought, floods. Located on tectonic plates, they are indeed subject to earthquakes, whose epicentre is often located in the sea. The islands are also subject to the risk of drought and flooding. These natural risks are accentuated by human activities. Soil artificialisation and land clearing accelerate erosion phenomena and thus make the territory more vulnerable. Greece and the islands experienced record tourist numbers in 2017 and 2018 (more than 30 million visitors to the country in 2018). Tourism, the main economic activity, generates a number of pressures on the constrained spaces of the islands.
Desalinating sea water to provide drinking water
The islands have had to deploy systems to supply their territory with water sustainably, both for tourism and for agricultural irrigation. A floating desalination plant has been built in the Aegean Sea. This plant uses wind and solar energy to transform sea water into drinking water and also produces electricity and scientific data. The process does not require chemicals and therefore does not release toxic effluents.
Paros: the first plastic-free Mediterranean island?
Some territories have decided to tackle plastic pollution by treating the problem at source. The "Clean Blue Paros" programme is a variation of the "Clean Blue Alliance" programme, supported by local businesses, the municipality, NGOs, the University of Aegean and donors (Cyclades Preservation Fund, Global Fund for Greece). The first step of the project was the banning of plastic straws in the summer of 2020, accompanied by awareness-raising among the local population and visitors. The idea is to continue the process and eventually eliminate plastic from the island.
Towards energy independence for the islands
The supply of electricity to the Cyclades is the subject of a project to connect them to the mainland's electricity grid. Deployment is under way and is planned for the period 2017-2024. The security of supply is ensured by underwater cables linking the mainland to the islands. They allow the old diesel generators on the islands to be replaced by natural gas or wind power.
Initiatives and perspectives for sustainable tourism
Initiatives are emerging in some islands. Santorini has adopted measures to fight against the massification of tourism and its deleterious effects on biodiversity (limitation of daily landings on the island). Preserving natural environments and limiting pollution are necessary actions to maintain biodiversity. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is also a sine qua non condition to safeguard the conditions necessary for human life. If traveling differently is necessary, it can also be a return to more authenticity, in line with the frugality that many islanders have maintained over the centuries. Live with the locals and consume locally. Finding another relationship with time - and with oneself - is one of the benefits of slow travel, so much praised by the writer-traveler Jacques Lacarrière, for example in his story The Greek Summer. Finally, you should know that it is quite possible to travel by train, for example from Paris to Athens. More numerous is the community of cyclotourists who cycle in Europe and notably set off towards Greece (with cycling itineraries such as the Eurovélos: https: //fr.eurovelo.com/greece).
