Mediterranean World Heritage Sites at risk from sea level rise; Corfu Old Town; Climate Change; Global Warming; Corfu, Greece

From Carbon Brief  "Mapped: The Mediterranean world heritage sites at risk from sea level rise"

From GTP  "UNESCO Sites in Greece Among 47 in Danger Due to Rising Sea Levels"

From Smithsonian  "Rising Seas Pose Imminent Threat to Dozens of Historical Sites Across the Mediterranean"

Corfu Forum  "Is there a serious discussion anywhere about the problems that big parts of coastline Corfu will face in the coming decades as a consequence of global warming and sea level rise?"

The answer can be found here:

A fictional, allegorical prophecy of how the end might come (although it won't need an earthquake or a tsunami) - an extract from To Poulima tis Panoreas (2008); English translation included in When the Sun Goes Down, Island Stories, 2013, by Maria Strani-Potts (also available as a Kindle edition)

The wind was blowing from all directions. The Sea became wild.

    “I’ve also had enough. We must save ourselves,” the Sea screamed, retreating rapidly from the shore and from her friends, and rushing away towards the far horizon.

      The dogs barked. The mice ran and hid under mountains of rubbish. Stars started falling from the sky. The earth shook. Those among the young and old who were asleep at home awoke in horror. The rest of the clan, who were passing away the night having fun, abandoned their amusements and ran towards the shore.

     “Panorea, what’s going on?” they shouted.

      “I’m thirsty! Water, water!”

      “Well, that’s not a reason for an earthquake. Calm down, come and drink a bottle of water.”

       The roaring intensified. The people couldn’t hear each other speak. The moon vanished. Suddenly the sea changed direction. She turned back towards the shore. Although it was dark, she could be seen charging towards them. A bright beam emanating from Kalosinatos’s palm lit up the waves and the horizon and broke the darkness of the night.

       “Kalosinatos, the sea is coming towards us. We’ll be drowned. Do something!” they all screamed.

        A second earthquake shook the land. Mountains split in the middle. Houses collapsed. Chunks of cement, bricks and iron bars fell on the heaps of rubbish scattered all around. The clan members were yelling. They saw the swimming pools bursting. The water was pouring down towards the sea, taking with it dead cats, drowned rats, plastic and cars.

        “Panorea, Kalosinatos, Eternal Beings, save us!”

        Twelve-foot-high waves were chasing in, one after another. Thunder and lightning were followed by a hailstorm. Hail stones as big as rocks were landing everywhere, hitting everything.

         The shore where Panorea and Kalosinatos were sitting broke away from the land. The great chasm thus created sucked in whatever was nearby. Panorea and Kalosinatos were nowhere to be seen. The men in charge of the supermarket where Kalosinatos was forced to sell his wares were running away in despair, only to fall headlong into the widening chasm, still holding their huge bags full of money. The Sea swallowed up whatever managed to escape the widening chasm.

         The turmoil had brought the birds out of their nests; they were flying in crazed circles above the devastated land. Following the mysterious light, they saw a single majestic white wave travelling out to sea at an amazing speed, leaving all the devastation behind. The birds suddenly saw Panorea and Kalosinatos lying peacefully upon the wave. They were holding hands. They, in turn, saw the birds and smiled.

        “Come and join us!” they called.

        The birds hovered above them a little and then sat on Panorea’s lap. She stroked them gently and they grasped her torn skirt for safety.

         The tempest lasted until daybreak.

         Nobody could have predicted such a disaster in the Mediterranean. At dawn the Sun appeared, pinkish, warm, timid. He emerged from behind the grey mountains and looked around for Panorea. A rainbow had appeared. The Sea was now calm and had returned to her usual seductive shades of blue. The Sun couldn’t see Panorea or Kalosinatos anywhere.

         “As soon as I warm the place they will come.”

         He looked closely at the land and saw ruins everywhere. Broken fridges, burnt-out cars, iron pipes, great chunks of cement and wrecked and capsized boats were scattered all around. There was not a living soul to be seen.

        Then the faint bleating of sheep was heard in the distance, mixed with the gentle cries of babies. “Any minute now they’ll turn up. They must have gone somewhere, but they always come back,” said the Sun to himself, with a knowing smile.

THE END