The rational management of available water resources and the effective protection of human and natural capital from potential natural disasters are at the heart of the strategic focus of the political leadership of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, given the growing climate crisis and its impacts.

In this context, a number of projects, large and small, are being implemented throughout the territory that make a substantial contribution:

Improving the efficiency of the primary sector and ensuring an adequate and high-quality water supply.

to shield entire areas from the risk of flooding.

Last Thursday, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Staikouras, presented to the Parliament's Standing Committee on Production and Trade three projects with a total budget of €319 million, which are expected to be contracted in the near future.

These concern:

the implementation of water supply projects in the regional units of Preveza, Arta, Aitoloakarnania, and Lefkada, with a budget of approximately €141 million.

construction of a dam in the area of Tsikniatis in the regional unit of Lesvos, with a budget of approximately €113 million.

Reclamation works in the Lakeside Areas of Amvrakia, Amfilochia and Valtos of the Prefecture of Aitoloakarnania, with a budget of approximately EUR 65 million.

This project is one of the four major projects, together with those that last month were included for funding in the "Environment and Climate Change 2021–2027" Programme, in Oreokastro, Loutraki and Ierapetra.

It is recalled that this year the loan financing agreements between the Greek State and the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) were signed for the construction of the dam on the river Platy in Rethymnon and the extension of the Messara Irrigation Network in the Region of Crete.

The above projects are a continuation of other similar, smaller-scale interventions launched by the Ministry, such as the modern irrigation network delivered in Herakleia, Fthiotida, which covers the irrigation of 3,510 hectares of the region with a budget of €3.5 million.

In the same direction, a number of project contracts have been signed for the construction:

irrigation network in Germa, Kastoria, including an underground pipeline network with a total length of 31.4 km and a budget of EUR 3.2 million.

a reservoir in Agiokampos, Larissa Prefecture, with a budget of EUR 19.1 million.

irrigation networks in the Prefecture of Trikala, with a budget of EUR 13.1 million.

a dam and reservoir for a water transfer pipeline in the location of 'Platania' in the municipality of N. Triglia, Halkidiki Prefecture, with a budget of EUR 64 million.

As well as for:

Energy Saving and Leakage Control of the Irrigation Networks of DEYA Thermi Thessaloniki, with a budget of EUR 4.6 million.

supply, installation and commissioning of automation and telemetry systems for leakage control and water and energy savings in the Nigrita irrigation network, with a budget of EUR 6.1 million.

Studies are being carried out in the same direction:

the complementary works of the Pinios dam in Ilia,

the Asopos Dam Irrigation Projects in Corinthia, with a budget of approximately EUR 5,6 million.

Finally, flood protection and stormwater projects have been put out to tender in the area of Nea MakriAttica, with a budget of €60 million, while the contract for the project for the settlement of the streams in the area of Oraiokastro in Thessaloniki and the construction of the necessary stormwater networks has been signed, with a budget of €11.3 million.