APPROACHES
Integrated water management in the Mediterranean: what future?
Vangelis Konstantianos, Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (GWP-Med) The management of water in the Mediterranean illustrates vividly the association between demographical, economical, technological, social, political, environmental and developmental problems, dilemmas and challenges. It is certain that only magical solutions could guarantee rapid and effective way out from the numerous and interrelated issues concerning water and its management in the Mediterranean basin.
The use of water in the ancient cities of Cyprus
Vassos Karagiorges, Professor Emeritus in the University of Cyprus, Director of Leventis Foundation During the later part of the Late Bronze Age (c. 1200 B.C) the first bathroom and bathtubs of clay and limestone appear in urban centres in Cyprus, as a result of influences from the Aegean. During the classical period (5th century B.C.) bath-rooms of cold and hot water appear in Cyprus, particularly in the Palace of Vouni, about five hundred years before they became popular in the Roman world.
Urban torrents. The Athenian streams as networks for the reconstruction of public space.
Panos Dragonas, architect, assistant professor, University of Patras The streams’ network of Athens composed a characteristic element of the natural landscape of Attica, which was destroyed during the construction of the drainage networks and the city’s traffic. The construction of new open discharge networks and the purification of rain water constitutes an opportunity for reconstructing the splitted Athenian public space, but also a first step towards the direction of viable urban development.
Gender and Water Resources in the Mediterranean
Juan Antonia Sagardoy, GEWAMED project manager Gender Mainstreaming in water resources development and management in the Mediterranean region aims at contributing to the resolution of some problems, such as the limited access of women to land and water as well as the underestimated importance of their role in the active management of water resources etc.
Water: The source of life perished by men
Nikos Itsines, journalist The scarcity of water is the most significant problem on our planet nowadays. Vast areas are thirsty while water is more expensive than oil. Unfortunately, a considerable quantity is perished due to immoderate human activity or even due to ineffective management of the water resources
Management of Water Resources
The management of water resources is directly connected with the big issue of climatic change. The water will constitute controlling factor for the economy, the society and the policy. For this reason, his management acquires world scale attention. It is exceptional important subject for Greece, particularly after the devastating fires of last summer. The political initiatives should be focused in three major issues: - the information of the citizens, - the water pricing, - and the effective implementation of a modern institutional framework.
Water resources in the Mediterranean Basin. A brief presentation of supply and demand problems and their consequences.
Bessie Mantzara, chemist, Mediterranean Information Office for Environment Culture and Sustainable Development Only a few years ago, water was in our consciousness an abundant natural resource that could be used lavishly. Nowadays, however, due to the immeasurable use, the increase of earth’s population and human activities, water is an insufficient good that must be preserved.
Coastal erosion in Cyprus
Xenia I. Loizidou, civil Eng. NTUA, MSc, DIC Coastal Eng, AKTI - Project and Research Centre, CYPRUS
The traditional uses of the coastal zone as habitation, fishing, swimming have been altered. New uses dictated from the latest recreational activities, waste management, land and water based infrastructure buildings, have provided the shores with new characteristics and caused -inter allia- several morphological problems: erosion and sedimentation.
Water Parks
Mika Michalaki, architect Water is the very source of all life on this planet and the human relationship with liquid elements remains close during the centuries. In the water environment, man used to search not only for the fulfilment of his biological needs, but also for the enjoyment of moments of rest and amusement.
Saving water at home
Nikos Chrysogelos, chemist, environmentalist, MEDITERRANEAN SOS Network The coming of the 21st century has brought into light among other issues the management of water resources. Today, 1.2 billions of people have no trinkable water and over 6.000 children are dying daily from related diseases. The change of climate will aggravate the problems of sufficiency and quality of the water.
Architecture and water: Using its power in design
Myrtia Fasouli - Maria Simakou, architects Commenting on the ways of using rainwater in landscape architecture, some examples are analyzed, and further application of similar methods in Greece is examined, if possible, given the change in climate.
Water in the city: An environmental and bioclimatic approach
Aineias Oikonomou, Flora Bougiatioti, architects Water constitutes an important and valuable natural resource, which should be preserved at any cost. In the city, water-related issues should be approached through two different angles: the environmental, which concerns the protection of water as a natural resource, and the bioclimatic, which includes the integration of water elements to the urban open spaces as a means to improve microclimatic conditions
Αsopos river: factuality and prospects of conservation and its environmental appointment
Georgia Goumopoulou, architect The environmental appointment of Asopos river possibly becomes the kick and the starting line for a big “environmental school” so much near to metropolitan centre of Athens and easily accessible. More than that, the transformation by “river of pollution” in “river of life” -with the characteristics the river had in the antiquity as a “god”- would constitute a big message of optimism for the future of nature and human both.
