A village that was submerged nearly 50 years ago in Greece is now reemerging. It's the result of a devastating drought that has lasted at least two years.
What's happening?
It's only the second time it has appeared in almost five decades. In the late 1970s, Kallio was a village that was intentionally flooded with a dam to help supply water for Athens. The drop in water levels now exposes some of the nearly 80 buildings that made up Kallio, which came amid a summer of drought and several heat waves. A similar phenomenon occurred in Texas earlier this year.
"It's a nightmarish situation," said Apostolos Gerodimos, the leader of the relocated Kallio community, per the Guardian. "The more water levels fall, the more buildings that were submerged back then are reemerging. If it doesn't rain this winter, the problem is going to get much worse."
The extreme weather in Greece is threatening some of the country's wine regions. "About 90% of traditional wine regions in coastal and lowland regions of Spain, Italy, Greece, and southern California could be at risk of disappearing by the end of the century because of excessive drought and more frequent heat waves with climate change," according to a study published in Nature.
Why is a drought in Greece important?
The lake that contains the reemerging Kallio has shrunk significantly over the past two years. According to Greece's National Observatory, per Reuters, the surface area of Lake Mornos has shrunk from around 6.5 square miles in August 2022 to around 4.6 square miles this summer.
Our overheating planet has changed the natural pattern of droughts, making them more intense, more frequent, and longer lasting. The world is warming, and warmer temperatures mean more evaporation.
What's being done about droughts?
Part of the mission of the United States Geological Survey is to "help communities understand, prepare, and mitigate droughts." The USGS develops tools to assess drought severity and better predict future droughts. It also develops water management strategies to help deal with drought conditions.
The pollution of heat-trapping gases from dirty energy sources is warming our world. Shifting to cleaner, renewable energy sources is essential. Solar power is a great option, and researchers are making big strides in solar technology. Solar panels can be installed on your home to curtail pollution and cut down your energy bill. Another option is signing up for a community solar program.
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