Panic on Greek island as tourists warned popular holiday hotspot is running out of water

Crete is facing a severe drought as a result of diminishing water supplies on the southern Aegean island.

A team of researchers from the University of Crete (UOC) described current conditions as "extreme" after "very disappointing" findings in the hydrological data.

They said the water shortages were mostly caused by very low rainfall and snowfall, as well as two years of blistering temperatures.

The scientists urged local authorities to implement a comprehensive water resources management plan to combat the growing crisis.

They said: "Nature may still have certain adaptation mechanisms, but as the summer progresses and needs rise with the peak of the tourism season in August, the problem will grow in many parts of the island."

The scientists also warned the shortages would create inevitable conflict between residents, farmers, and the tourism industry in the near future.

As a first step to managing the problem, they called for a series of measures to curb waste, such as restrictions on usage in cities and an awareness-raising campaign at tourist facilities, as well as carrying out much-needed repairs and upgrades to the water network.

In the long-term, the primary sector needs to adapt to the principles of agroecology, while a central water management agency responsible for organising supplies, networks, and pricing policies is essential, they added.

The tourism industry is a major consumer of water supplies. More than four million tourists visit the island each year, which has a population of just 670,000 people.

While all of Greece is facing water shortages, the Greek islands are most vulnerable. Fears over water are fuelling a vigorous debate about overtourism as visitor numbers surge upwards and development booms.

Nikitas Mylopoulos, a professor at the University of Thessaly, told CNN the industry was "unsustainable and zero-planned", which is leading to a tremendous demand for water.

Climate change is exacerbating the problems, as temperatures rise steadily and rainfall decreases.

Last winter was the country’s warmest since records began in 1960. Amost every month this year has seen lower-than-usual rainfall, and the Mediterranean Sea has been at record-high temperatures.

Since October, rainfall on some of the islands has been 40 percent lower than usual, said Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory of Athens. "So, that’s a big problem," he told CNN.

As water supplies become more scarce, islands are resorting to ever more ingenious ways to try and bridge the cap in demand and supply.

Desalination units are being built to purify sea water so it can be drunk by people. They are often extraordinarily expensive to build and require a lot of energy.