Title: Rainwater harvesting: from ancient Greeks to modern times. The case of Kefalonia Island

Authors: Eleni Sazakli; Evaggelia Sazaklie; Michalis Leotsinidis

Addresses: Laboratory of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, GR-26500 Rio Patras, Greece ' Lyceum Teacher of Literature, 3rd Lyceum, Aidiniou 7, Korinth, GR-20100, Greece ' Laboratory of Public Health, Medical School, University of Patras, GR-26500 Rio Patras, Greece

Abstract: Rainwater harvesting has been effectively applied in Ancient Greece since the Minoan era. Travelling back through the centuries, we encounter wisely designed and sophisticated technology of rainwater storage in cisterns. Knowledge and expertise have been transferred through human history to reach modern times when rainwater harvesting is applied in Kefalonia Island for drinking water supply. The whole system is much alike to the ones of our ancestors. It consists of catchment areas, connective pipelines and storage tanks. Ancient rainwater harvesting technologies compose a lesson for sustainable management of water since they "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (UN, 1987).

Keywords: ancient cisterns; aqueducts; Kefalonia; rainwater harvesting; Ancient Greece; antiquity; rainwater storage; water storage; water supply; drinking water; catchment areas; connective pipelines; storage tanks; sustainable development; sustainability; water management; modern Greece.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2015.071867

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2015 Vol.14 No.3/4, pp.286 - 295

Received: 19 Aug 2014
Accepted: 29 Mar 2015
Published online: 21 Sep 2015 *

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