GREECE: Unusual drought on Greek island destroys crops as warm weather continues in the middle of winter

Unusual drought on Greek island destroys crops as warm weather continues in the middle of winter. As the rest of Europe suffers from harsh snow and freezing temperatures, unusually warm weather in Greece has caused concerns over the water supply as scientists say these winter months have seen the lowest amount of rainfall since 1989. One of the most affected regions is the island of Crete in the Mediterranean sea, where temperatures in the last week have reached 22 degrees celsius and in many regions there has been no precipitation for three months. In the agricultural region of Mesaria Valley in the prefect of Iraklion, farmers said crops have begun to rot due to a lack of irrigation as water reserves such as dams and wells have reached dangerously low levels. "Its all drying up, it's all destroyed," said Cretan farmer George Papadakis showing his field. "I don't remember this ever having occurred, not having any rain in the months of December and January," said another elderly farmer. Local government officials say many areas are suffering a drought and if rains do not arrive soon it will be catastrophic for the agricultural economy. Officials also fear a water shortage in the towns and are advising locals to conserve their supply. After tourism, a large part of the Cretan economy is derived from agriculture, in the production of fruits and vegetables, including olives, which besides domestic consumption are exported to Europe. Thousands of acres of fields and greenhouses are sprinkled across the island, with more than 30 percent of the workforce employed in agriculture. Some Greek scientists have said the weather changes are due to global warming and have warned the country may suffer a water shortage in the summer months. Meteorologists said Greece will however eventually experience a late winter, with some rain and lower temperatures beginning to arrive next week and escalating next month.

ITN Source | January 29, 2007

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