Supervisors info:
Παναγιώτης Παπαζώτος, Μεταδιδακτορικός Ερευνητής, Ε.Μ.Π.
Μαρία Περράκη, Καθηγήτρια, ΕΜΠ
Ελισσάβετ Φελώνη, Ερευνήτρια, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
This master’s thesis focuses on presenting the status of water resources in the area of Messenia, with references to the quality and quantity of groundwater, the problems that have arisen in the study area, and the methods used to manage them.
Water is of utmost importance at a vital level for humans, all living organisms and the
environment. Therefore, it is essential for it to be in good quantitative and qualitative condition
and to be used rationally, especially today, when the demand for water is rapidly increasing.
Water demand in Greece shows spatial and temporal variability. Drinking water usage, in
particular, increases during the summer months, as is characteristic in the study area due to
increased tourism. The demand for irrigation water similarly exhibits the same increasing
volume, especially in lowland areas such as Messenia, due to large cultivated areas.
This master’s thesis represents the first systematic recording of water resources in the study
area, with an emphasis on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of groundwater. In
this six chaptered research, there is extensive reference to water, the Greek and International
legal framework and a full description of the study area, including its population, geological,
hydrogeological, and morphological characteristics, as well as its infrastructure and finally,
environmental issues are addressed with the presentation of the results from data processing
and the potential causes of water pollution in Messenia, also referencing the COVID-19 period.
According to the collection, processing, and analysis of data from the regional unit of Messenia,
the main problems of groundwater quality degradation are salinization and nitrate pollution,
reflected in the high concentrations of Cl and NO3.
In conclusion, the current state of water quality and the findings of the thesis are presented.
Specific proposals are made aimed at rational management and utilization of the water
resources in the regional unit of Messenia.
Keywords:
Hydrological cycle, groundwater, water management, rational management
