STORY: Dimitris Marinoglou’s family have ploughed this land in northern Greece for generations.

But now Marinoglou is worried their way of life is under threat.

The Bulgarian water supplies that have kept his family’s crops alive for decades could dry up this summer.

:: Graphic: This Earth

:: Kyprinos, Greece

:: January 28, 2025

:: Dimitris Marinoglou, Farmer

“We have invested in this, we bought reels, we bought watering equipment, all of this is worth a lot of money. If there is no water, it will go to waste, the fields will go to waste.”

:: Ivaylovgrad, Bulgaria

Since 1964, water from Bulgaria’s mountains has flowed freely along the Arda River into 50,000 acres, 20,000 hectares, of the Evros plain in northern Greece.

:: Arda River, Greece

Evros has no functioning dams or reservoirs and relies on the water delivered between May and September.

But the deal, which was a World War Two reparations agreement, expired last year and it is not clear if it will be renewed as Bulgaria assesses its own water needs.

Water has become a precious resource in southern Europe, as climate change has made summers hotter and rain less frequent.

Greece clocked its warmest winter and summer on record last year.

Local farmers have been protesting, accusing the government of not acting fast enough to secure a deal ahead of the summer.

:: Kastanies, Greece

:: January 28, 2025

:: Nikos Poptsoglou, Farmer

“Because of climate change we had droughts, we did not have rain, and we are forced to rely solely on the Arda River. If Bulgaria says it will not give us water, the fields will dry up.”

Officials at the Greek energy and environment ministry say political instability in Bulgaria and successive interim governments have stalled talks.

“If there is not a long-term agreement it will mean death for us in this region.”

But the head of the local farmers’ association believes that even a deal may not be enough to save the region.

:: Dimitris Drakoudis, Trigono Farmers Association

“The infrastructure projects and the entire irrigation network here is based on the bilateral agreement. The problem is that for the last 60 years, nothing has been done, no infrastructure project and no maintenance.”