Agricultural and water resources development in Thessaly, Greece in the framework of new European union policies

The main challenges that inter-relate sustainable development with water resources management are to secure water for all humanity and for food production as well, to protect the ecosystems, to manage risk, to create public awareness, to urge political will and to ensure cooperation and coordination of action in an integrated way for both national and international water issues. The response of Europe comes through the new Water Framework Directive (WFD) for the sustainable management of all European waters. Moreover EU provides the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the sustainable development of rural areas which all member states should comply with. This paper evaluates the perspectives of water resources management and economic development in the greater Thessaly area - an agricultural, rural area in Greece that faces a dramatic water resources problem, in the framework of the WFD 2000/60 and the new CAP. © 2009 IAHR, INBO & IAHS