Sunken village emerges in Greece as drought dries up lake

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🗞️ Driving the news: A submerged village, Kallio, is reemerging from Lake Mornos in central Greece as drought and heatwaves have caused water levels to drop to historic lows
• The lake, which supplies nearly half of Greece’s population with water, has shrunk drastically due to the country’s driest winter and extreme summer weather linked to climate change

🔭 The context: Kallio was intentionally flooded in 1980 to create a reservoir for Athens, but the ongoing drought has caused water reserves in the region to dwindle
• This situation is compounded by Greece’s susceptibility to climate change, including worsening wildfires and extreme heat

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The reemergence of Kallio is a stark reminder of the escalating impacts of climate change, including severe droughts that threaten water supplies and ecosystems
• These events are increasingly straining global resources

⏭️ What's next: If Greece experiences another rainless winter, water shortages could worsen, and wildfires could become even more frequent as forests dry out

💬 One quote: “If it continues like this, the entire village will appear, all the way to the bottom,” said former resident Maria Gerodimos

📈 One stat: The lake’s surface area has shrunk from 16.8 square kilometers in 2022 to 12.0 square kilometers in 2024

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