Tuesday, January 21, 2025 Facing the challenges of overtourism and ongoing drought, Greece is exploring innovative strategies to conserve water. As droughts persist across the country, Greece is seeking alternative methods to maintain water levels in hotel pools. This summer, pools in the renowned tourist hotspot might be filled with seawater as lawmakers consider new legislation aimed at addressing the ongoing water crisis.
The proposed legislation outlines guidelines for setting up pipelines to circulate seawater in and out of swimming pools at coastal hotels, offering a sustainable solution to conserve freshwater resources for essential urban needs in regions experiencing water shortages. Greece Explores Seawater Pools to Combat Drought as Tourism Thrives In a bid to tackle severe drought and water shortages, Greece is considering a groundbreaking approach: filling hotel swimming pools with seawater. The proposal, currently under discussion in parliament, aims to conserve valuable freshwater resources for essential urban use.
Under the proposed legislation, pipelines would be installed to pump seawater in and out of pools at coastal resorts. Deputy Minister of Tourism Elena Rapti explained, “This framework outlines the extraction and pumping of seawater for swimming pools, with a primary focus on conserving water resources.” While innovative, the idea has sparked environmental concerns.
Critics worry about the ecological impact, including potential harm to marine life .
