Connections to Water in Greece

Submitted by Georgia to the Women Mind the Water digital stories project, in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street storytelling website and traveling exhibition "Water/Ways."

This story was recorded at the School for the Environment, UMASS Boston.

"Well, I guess my story starts in my childhood. I grew up in Greece. It’s a country with almost 16,000 kilometers, so most Greek people connect their well-being with the water. What was the most interesting for me as a child was that I spent the summers in the Greek Islands that my father grew up. As with most Greek Islands, as in this Greek Island Santorini, the way the people collect water, is through rain water cisterns. So, I was kind of spoiled child. When I was in Athens I was taking these long showers. But then, when we had to visit my grandmother in the islands, I remember my grandmother was counting the minutes I was taking the shower. So, I knew that I should save the water, that I shouldn’t waste.

At the same time I remember that we were spending a lot of time in the beach so I had in my mind that on the one hand we have water quantity and we depend on water and we need it – we drink it, we take showers, we wash our clothes – on the other hand, we enjoy the water – we swim there, we fish. I had in my mind how those two aspects are connected. So, I decided, I think from very early, a very young age, that I need to see those interconnections. So, for these reasons, is that I study both – water quantity but also water quality. I know that in the Mediterranean countries most people care about water quantity because water scarcity is a real problem. But I realized, when I moved to the United States and I did research in the Great Lakes that water is life, but water quality is health. So, in order to make sure that people benefit from water systems we need to study both aspects – water quantity but also water quality."

Asset ID: 8026
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