The Greek government has signed an €87.9 million (US$101 million) public-private partnership (PPP) contract to deliver a major irrigation infrastructure project in eastern Crete. The agreement, signed by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and GEK TERNA S.A., covers the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the project, making it one of Greece's key investments in sustainable water resource management. 

The project comprises the construction of the Chochlakia reservoir in Sitia and the Agios Ioannis dam in Ierapetra, along with the associated water conveyance and irrigation networks. The Chochlakia reservoir will have a storage capacity of approximately 825,000 cubic metres and will irrigate around 1,483 acres (6,000 stremmas) of farmland. Meanwhile, the 52-metre-high Agios Ioannis dam will store approximately 1.7 million cubic metres of water and supply irrigation to about 1,853 acres (7,500 stremmas). Together, the facilities will serve more than 3,300 acres of agricultural land in the Lasithi region.

The scheme is intended to strengthen water security, improve agricultural productivity and address the growing challenges of drought and climate change in Crete. By increasing water storage capacity and modernising irrigation infrastructure, the project will provide farmers with a more reliable water supply while supporting the long-term sustainability of the island's agricultural sector. 

Construction of the first phase, centred on the Chochlakia reservoir, is expected to be completed within 18 months, while the entire project is scheduled for completion within 42 months. The PPP agreement also includes a 25-year operation and maintenance period, ensuring the long-term management and performance of the infrastructure. According to the Greek government, it is the country's fourth irrigation PPP to enter the implementation stage and the first to combine both dam construction and an irrigation network under a single concession.