In a concerning environmental development, four natural lakes in Central Macedonia, Greece—Voulkaria, Koronia (Koroneia), Doirani, and Pikrolimni—are experiencing declining water levels, a trend attributed to sparse rainfall, rising temperatures, and intensified irrigation practices. This alarming trend has been highlighted in a report by the Hellenic Centre for Biodiversity and Wetlands.
The Centre, which manages the National Water Monitoring Network under the General Directorate of Water at the Ministry of Environment and Energy, has been closely observing these changes since 2012. Their findings indicate that the region’s climatic conditions align with predictions made by global and regional climate models for the Mediterranean.
Since the start of 2024, maximum monthly temperatures have touched the upper extremes of the 2013-2023 range, with the rainfall for both 2023 and 2024 remaining significantly below average. This has resulted in an increasing strain on the lakes’ hydrology, necessitating a critical reduction in water withdrawals from surrounding catchment areas.
The report underlines that in addition to decreased precipitation, rising temperatures heighten water loss through evaporation and increased irrigation demands. While direct water extractions from the lakes are minimal, except for Voulkaria, the extensive use of groundwater from nearby aquifers, interconnected with the lakes, further depletes the water levels of both the lakes and aquifers.
Current Trends:
By August 2024, all four lakes consistently reported water levels at the lower end of their historical range for the 2013-2024 period, although not as extreme as the record lows of 2013 and early 2014. After a brief rebound in 2014 and 2015, when water levels rose sharply due to frequent rainfall, a downward trend has persisted since 2016, with Voulkaria reaching a 12-year low in 2019.
While the lakes of Voulkaria and Koronia have shown some stabilization from 2020 to August 2024, largely tracking with annual rainfall patterns, Pikrolimni continues to see a decline. This has resulted in recurring instances of drying up, including during this summer season, adding urgency to the call for sustainable water management practices in the region.