By DPA
Athens : Scientists have warned that the western Greek city of Patras could be under water by the end of the century if sea levels continue to rise at the current rate, reports said Friday.
According to a report published in the Greek daily Kathimerini, scientists insist the Peloponnese city could be 1.6 metres under water by 2100, and that much of the country’s western coastline is at risk.
“It is not necessary for me to tell you that receptionists at the country’s large hotels will, in a few years, be wearing their bathing suits to work,” he was quoted as saying.
Research has indicated that the sea would cover more than 80,000 hectares of Greece in 2100.
The newspaper quoted Efstratios Doukakis of the National Technical University of Athens as saying that the sea level has risen by 16 millimetres every year from 1969 to 2001.