Climate Change in Greece

Greece has a Mediterranean climate, which means mild and rainy winters, relatively warm and dry summers and many hours of sunshine during the year. The coldest months are January and February and the warmest period is during the months July and August.

The climate in Greece is changing. It has been proven that since the end of 1990s the temperature of Greece has been increasing, especially during the summer months.

Furthermore, there has been a decrease in annual and seasonal precipitation, . Summer rainfalls have increased, there is adecreasing trend for winter and annual rainfalls.

The main reasons for climate change in Greece are the increase of world population, economic trends, transport, energy, agricultural demand and household consumption.

Energy consumption in Greece has increased by 57.2 % between 1990 and 2007. Although fossil fuels continue to dominate total energy consumption, the use of renewable energy sources and natural gas grews between 2000 and 2007.

In 1995, 2005 and 2007, Greece published the National Climate Change Programme, which targets reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, changes in transportation and agriculture, improving waste management and expanding research and development efforts.

Resources:

www.eea.europa.eu/soer/2015/countries/greece

Consequences

Fishing & aquaculture
Sea-level rise
Human health
Agriculture
Water systems
Forest ecosystems
Biodiversity
Built environment

Resources:

– www.eea.europa.eu/soer/countries/gr
– Επιτροπή Μέλετης Επιπτώσεων Κλιματικής Αλλαγής, “Οι περιβαλλοντικές, οικονομικές και κοινωνικές επιπτώσεις της κλιματικής αλλαγής στην Ελλάδα,” 2011:Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος,Ευρωσύστημα

The main factors of climate change which will affect the fishing and the aquaculture resources of our country are the rise of temperature, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the waters & secondarily, the water-level rise.The sustainable management of fishing and aquaculture depends on maintaining the structures of the ecosystem and the existence of a sustainable human community as well as natural factors, namely nutrients, temperature, stratification of water mass, ph, etc.
Image:www.sxc.hu

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: One third of the Greek population lives in coastal zone of 16.200 km.80% of industrial activities, 90% of tourism, 35% of agriculture, fishing and aquaculture and a significant proportion of the country’s infrastructure are located in the coastal zone. The biggest problem for thecoastal zone is the high rate of erosion of the shoreline. Greece is the 4th most vulnerable country regarding coastal erosan amongst the states of the EU. The main reasons are sea-level rise & extreme weather events.

: The main conclusion of researches is that climate change can cause to human health, among others:
1)Increased mortality due to temperature increase and reduced mortality in less warm countries for the same reason.
2)More frequent epidemics communicable diseases. According to World Health Organization’s annual report, climate change is responsible for about 2.4% of incidences of diarrhea worldwide for 2002.
Image: Greenpeace Greece

: All the studies concur that in the coming years Southern Europe and particularly the Mediterranean will be vulnerable in terms of crop production, a fact with special importance for Greece.Agriculture is inseparable from the climate, since the type quantity and quality of agricultural products depends on it. Climatic variables affecting agricultural productivity are temperature, precipitation, solar radiation and the composition of the atmosphere.
Image: http://www.sxc.hu/

: The average level of precipitation in Greece is 800mm, due to the climate, the weather and the relief of Greece. Climate change in Greece has an immediate effect in water systems, leading to:decrease in provisioning and renewal of water; increased levels of salts in coastal and submarine waters; increases in the pollution of coastal water systems; the degradation of delta systems;the pollution and drainage of coastal wetlands; the aggravation of desertification;
Photo Credits: Sergios Soursos

: Forest ecosystems occupy 65% of the land surface of Greece.Forest ecosystems will harmed in particular by the reduced precipitation, high temperatures, and they are increasingly threatened by catastrophic fires.Forest fires will pose an increased threat to tourism and recreation, as the average air temperature and the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves will increase. Along with the downgrading of forest ecosystems, quality of life in big urban centres is expected to deteriorate.

: One of the most important characteristics of Greece’s biodiversity is high endemism for many animal and plant groups. Many endemic species have limited distribution &consequently are sensitive to disturbances. Biodiversity can be affected by a combination of direct impacts on organisms, impacts through biological interactions,& impacts through changes in abiotic factors. By the end of the 21st century, the effects of climate change are expected to be the primary cause for decreasing biodivesrity

: The effects of climate change on the built environment can be separated into direct and indirect effects. For example, direct consequences of the sea-level rise include increased flooding and risks for human safety. The indirect effects include increased costs for repair and maintenance of the built environment and increased migration flows due to environmental causes.Climate change drastically increases the energy consumption of buildings, especially during the summer.
Image: Sergios Soursos