School Rainfall Recording Network

The Directorate for Water Decentralised Administration of Crete is the responsible service for the protection, monitoring and management of water resources in Crete Through an integrated planning (at European Union level) for the protection and sustainable management of water resources, the Water Directorate coordinates and implements the River Basin Management Plan (RBMP). In the RBMP for Crete, the measures include the reinforcement of environmental actions in primary and secondary education. Thus, in September 2016 the recording of rainfall in the Region of Crete with the active participation of students from High Schools began to be implemented on the initiative of the Water Directorate of Crete in cooperation with the Regional Directorate of Education. The aim of the above initiative is to raise awareness among the small citizens of Crete, i.e. children, to environmental issues and their initiation to water resources, the water cycle and the specificities of Crete. It is estimated that Crete receives an average of about 7.5 billion cubic meters of water per year, 28 % of which enters the interior of the earth and enriches the underground aquifers and is mainly the water we use for our needs (water supply — irrigation etc.). This water comes mainly from rainfall, which is why it is very important to measure it. In order for the children to measure rainfall, rain meters were installed in four schools in the Regional Unit of Heraklion. The students of these schools, after being trained by employees of the Water Directorate, now record daily the amount of rainfall in their area while informing the local community. Our future goal is to expand the network throughout Crete with the participation of as many schools as possible. Mari Ioanna, Head of the Department for the Monitoring and Protection of Water Resources (tel. 2813404168, e-mail [email protected]) and Mr. Tzorbattzakis Michalis, an employee of the Water Directorate (tel. 2813404134, e-mail [email protected]). The four schools that since October 2016 started recording rainfall observations are high schools: Kastelliou, Krousonas, Vagionias and Pompias.