Global NEST Journal, Vol 7, No 3, pp 313-322, 2005 Copyright© 2005 Global NEST Printed in Greece. All rights reserved WATER RESOURSES IN GREECE : PRESENT AND FUTURE M.A. MIMIKOU* National Technical University of Athens Faculty of Civil Engineering Department of Water Resources Hydraulic and Maritime Engineering Iroon Polytechniou 5, 15780 Athens, Greece Received: 24/05/04 *to whom all correspondence should be addressed Accepted: 30/08/04 e-mail: mmimikou@chi.civil.ntua.gr ABSTRACT The European Water Framework Directive 2000/60 has established a new legislation for sustainable management of water resources and protection of their relevant eco-systems. The primary objective of the Directive which is the achievement of acceptable water quality through the implementation of rational water resources management plans presupposes the planning and implementation of a national water policy. The hydrologic regime in Greece corresponds to other Mediterranean countries of the European Union due to the inadequate availability of water resources and the Mediterranean hydroclimatic conditions. Water demands in several areas of Greece are not satisfactorily covered, while these regions experience an "endemic" shortage of water that appears to be critical. This situation needs an immediate confrontation. The “best institutional and policy practice” for water management appears to be urgently required, along with the creation of a lasting network of institutional research policy for enhancing the productivity of water, at national and local levels. KEYWORDS: water use, water resources, water management, national policy 1. INTRODUCTION Water, along with air and land, are the main sources that contribute to human’s life. Water is not only a basic element for life and environment in our planet, but also a regulating factor for economic, technological, social and cultural development. Furthermore, it is an international issue that creates geopolitical conflicts –it is assumed to be the cause of a future war– among neighbouring countries, who share waters from transboundary rivers, lakes and underground aquifers. Even if the water appears to exist in abundance, as the 70% of earth surface is covered by water, the finally available quantity with suitable quality for use is very small. The 98% of water is found in the sea, the ocean and the ice, while the rest is not practically exploitable (eg it is found in depth exceeding the 800 m) or it is brackish and cannot be used. Only 0.6% of water worldwide is considered available and suitable for use. This limited quantity of water resources is unevenly distributed in space and time. There are countries with abundance of water and others with vital shortages or deserts. Even in the interior of countries, the water resources are not uniformly distributed, subsequently causing serious local conflicts among the users. The time availability is also uneven, as the winter water is often flash flood, while in summertime it is insufficient for certain use (irrigation, tourism etc). The exceptionally limited availability of water, along with the uneven space-time distribution and the gradually degrading quality, render the water resources inadequate.