00:00Here, at the Therapio Dam, the Ardas River quietly flows through northern Evros.
00:07It may look calm, but for farmers in this region, what flows or doesn't flow down this
00:11river could make or break their year.
00:15For more than 60 years, water from here, regulated upstream by Bulgaria's Ivalongrad Dam, has
00:21irrigated over 50,000 acres of farmland.
00:25That agreement, it ended last July.
00:28The Ivalongrad Dam controls the flow.
00:31It's like a faucet for Greek farmers.
00:34But with no new deal in place, the tap could tighten.
00:38And it already has.
00:41Without water, we're looking at income losses of over 70%.
00:45The consequences for the local economy are devastating.
00:48People are deeply worried.
00:50Dimitris grows corn, cotton and sunflowers, crops that can't survive without steady irrigation.
00:57After last year's brutal drought, there's no margin for uncertainty.
01:02Farmers saw this crisis coming, and when the water agreement expired, local officials rushed
01:07to apply a temporary fix.
01:09It held just barely.
01:11Now, they insist it's time to stop relying on short-term solutions.
01:18This agreement is particularly important for our region.
01:21The waters of the Ardas cover a lot of farmland.
01:24This must be resolved in the best way for both countries.
01:28Mayor Papadopoulos says he's been in constant contact with ministries pushing for a new
01:34deal, or at least a clear plan before farmers are left dry again.
01:42What we need to agree on is the flow rate, when and how much water comes.
01:47That's the real issue.
01:48That's what worries me.
01:52But across the border, Bulgaria says times have changed.
01:56Drought, climate shifts and lower reserves mean the old rules don't fit the new reality.
02:04Greece is putting pressure on the government, and if I were on their side, I might do the
02:08same.
02:09But as a proud Bulgarian, I'm standing up for Bulgaria and our national interests.
02:14We need to push for that first.
02:16Bulgarians should have a say in this deal.
02:18Transparency.
02:20Meanwhile, back in Evros, there's one thing farmers agree on.
02:25Talk is cheap.
02:26Crops are not.
02:30We shouldn't be out protesting every year.
02:32We need a long-term agreement.
02:34This uncertainty has to end.
02:38Talks are ongoing.
02:39Everyone agrees cooperation is key.
02:42But until ink hits paper, the fields here wait and dry out.
02:48Evangelos Tsipsis for CGTN, on the Greece-Bulgaria border.
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