٠٠:٠٣:٠٠Fierce heatwaves have dried out large parts of several lakes near the Greek-North Macedonian border, damaging the environment for local plant life, birds and fish.
Footage filmed on Monday captured the dried-out bed of Lake Pikrolimni and the area around Lake Doirani.
"The last couple of years, due to drought, the surface area of the lake has shrunk a lot. By around 80-100 metres," said Doirani resident Nikos Kalpakidis.
"Not only have the fish disappeared, even the birds have vanished. Some silver pelicans, some fantastic birds that used to come here, we don't see them anymore nowadays," he said.
"This year, because of the heat wave, too much water is gone," he explained.
Local hydrologists had noted 'very low' rainfall in the region over the past two years, while temperatures surged to their highest in a decade.
The Greek Biotope Wetland Centre also recorded the lowest water levels of the three lakes in the area in 10 years, which has also seen the number of tourists tumble.
Theodoros Skylakakis, Minister for the Environment and Energy, announced on Thursday a multibillion-euro plan to increase the water supply and reduce water waste.
'Fish have disappeared, birds have vanished' - Water levels in lakes around Greek-North Macedonian border plunge during prolonged heatwaves
Fierce heatwaves have dried out large parts of several lakes near the Greek-North Macedonian border, damaging the environment for local plant life, birds and fish.
Footage filmed on Monday captured the dried-out bed of Lake Pikrolimni and the area around Lake Doirani.
"The last couple of years, due to drought, the surface area of the lake has shrunk a lot. By around 80-100 metres," said Doirani resident Nikos Kalpakidis.
"Not only have the fish disappeared, even the birds have vanished. Some silver pelicans, some fantastic birds that used to come here, we don't see them anymore nowadays," he said.
"This year, because of the heat wave, too much water is gone," he explained.
Local hydrologists had noted 'very low' rainfall in the region over the past two years, while temperatures surged to their highest in a decade.
The Greek Biotope Wetland Centre also recorded the lowest water levels of the three lakes in the area in 10 years, which has also seen the number of tourists tumble.
Theodoros Skylakakis, Minister for the Environment and Energy, announced on Thursday a multibillion-euro plan to increase the water supply and reduce water waste.
Fierce heatwaves have dried out large parts of several lakes near the Greek-North Macedonian border, damaging the environment for local plant life, birds and fish.
Footage filmed on Monday captured the dried-out bed of Lake Pikrolimni and the area around Lake Doirani.
"The last couple of years, due to drought, the surface area of the lake has shrunk a lot. By around 80-100 metres," said Doirani resident Nikos Kalpakidis.
"Not only have the fish disappeared, even the birds have vanished. Some silver pelicans, some fantastic birds that used to come here, we don't see them anymore nowadays," he said.
"This year, because of the heat wave, too much water is gone," he explained.
Local hydrologists had noted 'very low' rainfall in the region over the past two years, while temperatures surged to their highest in a decade.
The Greek Biotope Wetland Centre also recorded the lowest water levels of the three lakes in the area in 10 years, which has also seen the number of tourists tumble.
Theodoros Skylakakis, Minister for the Environment and Energy, announced on Thursday a multibillion-euro plan to increase the water supply and reduce water waste.