Assessment of rural and highly seasonal tourist activity plus drought effects on reservoir operation in a semi-arid region of Greece using the WEAP model

Abstract

The WEAP (Water Evaluation and Planning) model was used to estimate the effects of drought in addition to rural and tourist activity on the operation of two multi-purpose reservoirs in the Chalkidiki region of Greece. In scenarios based on historical data from 1975–2005, the fully effective months exceeded 85% of the total simulation period, while short-term droughts (less than two years’ duration) made the reservoirs ineffective to cover summer water demand. The results show that short-term droughts, in combination with high competition for water supply during summer between tourist and rural activities, may have environmental and social implications in semi-arid environments.