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Greece's vanishing lake exposes rapid impact of climate change
Satellite images show the lake’s surface has fallen to 2.7 square kilometres, as low rainfall and over-irrigation drain water resources.
- Satellite images from the National Observatory of Athens show Koroneia Lake in northern Greece has shrunk to 2.7 square kilometres from 34.4 square kilometres in 2016. The former protected wetland now consists of dried springs and fragmented ponds.
- Dimitris Papadimos of the National Wetland Center cited a decade of low rainfall averaging about 400 millimeters annually—150 millimeters below historical averages—alongside rising temperatures that increased evaporation by 150 millimeters yearly. Intensive irrigation by farmers compounded the crisis.
- Costas Hatzivoulgaridis, head of Agios Vassilios lakeside community, recalled the area's former abundance of birds and fishermen before the drought. "Today, what we see is a disappointment," he said.
- Following a 2013 European Union court ruling that Greece failed to protect the lake, Petros Varelidis, secretary general for water resources at the Greek Environment Ministry, said authorities have implemented greater monitoring to reduce irrigation demand.
- European heatwaves and low rainfall this summer reduced water levels across rivers and lakes to levels unseen in decades, exacerbating conditions at Koroneia. The crisis exemplifies how climate change impacts northern Greece's water resources.
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7 Articles
7 Articles
The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)One of Greece’s largest lakes shrinks to a tenth of its original size
The water that remains at Koroneia Lake in northern Greece is collected in a series of murky ponds
·London, United Kingdom
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Greece's vanishing lake exposes impact of climate change
Before drought took hold, Koroneia Lake in northern Greece was a protected wetland, a refuge for thousands of migratory and water birds including flamingos, and a magnet for tourists as well as local fishermen and farmers.
·Ireland
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Greece's vanishing lake exposes rapid impact of climate change
Before drought took hold, Koroneia Lake in northern Greece was a protected wetland, a refuge for thousands of migratory and water birds including flamingos, and a magnet for tourists as well as local fishermen and farmers.
·London, United Kingdom
Read Full Article
A refuge for thousands of migratory birds, a magnet for tourists, but also for local fishermen and farmers.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources7
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 33%
C 50%
R 17%
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