Freshwater - National Responses (Greece)

Α National Strategy for Water Resources (NSWR) has been developed in Greece, aiming at the sustainable use of water resources, the efficient protection of water ecosystems and the attainment of high‑quality standards for all surface water and groundwater bodies by the year 2015.

The basic sectors of action of the NSWR are:

• Integrated approach for water management: Development of management plans on river basin level including transboundary water courses, based on water quality and quantity considerations and the interaction between surface water and groundwater;
• Decentralisation of water management authorities: With the establishment of the Regional Water Directorates, a transposition of competencies on water resources management has been transferred to regional level;
• Upgrading and expansion of infrastructure: This includes the promotion of specific measures and actions for meeting the demand for water supply through the expansion of existing networks as well as through the decrease of losses, the construction of new and the upgrading of existing wastewater treatment plants with emphasis on recycling, and finally, the establishment of more effective mechanisms for monitoring water quality and quantity with focus on creating an updated Data Bank;
• Incorporation of socio-economic considerations in water management: This includes measures to reinforce public participation in water management efforts as well as the adaptation of pricing policies to include ‘the social cost’ in water services’ provision (see GR – EEA WQ 05 and Economic instruments – cost recovery).

References

Tsouni, A., Zervos, N., Hadjibiros, K., Andreadakis, A., 2002. An environmental database for the status of freshwater in Greece. Global Nest: the Int. J. Vol 4, No 1, pp 1-14, 2002

Links to the freshwater Indicators calculated for Greece – To be appeared to NCESD website

State: CSI020: Nutrients in freshwater

State: CSI 022: Bathing water quality

Pressure: WQ2: Water use by sector

Pressure: CSI024: Urban waste water treatment

Response: WQ05: Water prices

Response: Economic instruments – cost recovery