water management

Regenerating Soil Helps Tackle Water Crisis, Experts Say

Regenerating Soil Helps Tackle Water Crisis, Experts Say

In recent years, fre­quent and long-last­ing droughts have caused severe water short­ages and threat­ened farm­ing pro­duc­tion. This occurred in the com­plex con­text of cli­mate change and its effects, in which the water cri­sis plays a key role.Regenerating soil ben­e­fits not only the agri­cul­ture sec­tor but the whole com­mu­nity. Every farmer can imme­di­ately start doing it by…

How Cigarette Waste Is Changing Aquatic Ecosystems

How Cigarette Waste Is Changing Aquatic Ecosystems

Around 90 % (4.5 trillion) of cigarettes consumed globally are improperly discarded, making cigarette butts one of the most common waste types. They contain harmful chemicals such as metals, nicotine, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which leach into water and threaten aquatic life. Nicotine dissolves readily in water, with approximately half leaching out from cigarette butts…

‘The waters become corrupt, the air infected’: here’s how Ancient Greeks and Romans grappled with environmental damage

‘The waters become corrupt, the air infected’: here’s how Ancient Greeks and Romans grappled with environmental damage

Today the perilous state of the environment is often in the news. Many stories describe how Earth is being damaged by human beings and discuss ways to prevent this. These concerns are not new. Millennia ago, people in ancient Greece and Rome already knew humans were damaging the natural world. Literature from these ancient times…

Optimizing Agroecological Measures for Climate-Resilient Olive Farming in the Mediterranean

In order to evaluate the potential of climate change mitigation measures on soil physiochemical properties, an experiment based on the application of five agroecological practices such as the addition of composted olive-mill wastes, recycling pruning residue, cover crops, organic insect manure, and reduced soil tillage, solely or combined, was conducted over two years (2020 to…

New filtration material could remove long-lasting chemicals from water

New filtration material could remove long-lasting chemicals from water

Water contamination by the chemicals used in today’s technology is a rapidly growing problem globally. A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that 98 percent of people tested had detectable levels of PFAS, a family of particularly long-lasting compounds also known as “forever chemicals,” in their bloodstream. A new filtration material developed…

A critical assessment of conservation agriculture among smallholders in the Mediterranean region: adoption pathways inspired by agroecological principles

Conservation agriculture (CA) is the key agricultural soil management approach for Mediterranean rainfed systems facing extreme droughts and soil degradation. Yet, CA uptake and applicability is still marginal and disputed in the Mediterranean region, where smallholder farmers are most representative. Lack of widespread adoption of CA in the Mediterranean region despite international efforts is perplexing….

Impacts of a hydroinfiltrator rainwater harvesting system on soil moisture regime and groundwater distribution for olive groves in semi-arid Mediterranean regions

Dry periods in semi-arid regions constitute one of the greatest hazardous features that agriculture faces. This study investigates the effects of using a new device called ‘Hydroinfiltrator Rainwater Harvesting System (HRHS) on the water balance of soils. It was designed for arid and semi-arid zones affected by long periods of drought punctuated by heavy rainstorms….

Impact of Climate Change on the Primary Agricultural Sector of Greece: Adaptation Policies and Measures

The wide acceptance that Climate Change (CC) is a reality, often taking extreme forms, has led to the development of strategies to mitigate climate change and the need to adapt to the new climate conditions. Greece has already developed a National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (NSACC), which has started to be implemented in…

First World Conference on Smart Islands to take place on Pserimos Sept 4-5

First World Conference on Smart Islands to take place on Pserimos Sept 4-5

The 1st World Conference on Smart Islands will be held on the island of Pserimos on September 4-5 by the International Hellenic Association (ΙΗΑ). The conference will be organized with the help of the Municipalities of Kalymnos , Vari/Voula/Vouliagmeni and Kifissia, under the auspices of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE). Following up…

Greece to Launch €200m in Funding for Island Water Infrastructure

Greece to Launch €200m in Funding for Island Water Infrastructure

Greece is working to address the water crisis on its islands through the launch of 200 million euro funding mechanism this autumn that will support the creation of systems that address both the water crisis and the generation of renewable energy, says AMNA. The municipalities of islands will be invited to submit their proposals, which…