Know better. Do better.

Last September, major storms flooded Greece's agricultural heartlands and caused devastating impacts for some 30,000 farmers.

But this year, the Thessaly plain was hit by a severe drought. Consistent summer temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104F) stunted crop growth.

Our reporter Beatrice Tridimas headed to the region to see how farmers are coping with these two weather extremes. She found them struggling to see a future.

The combination of extreme droughts and floods is cutting yields while costs rise and crop prices stagnate.  

"Can we survive? I don't know," said Achilleas Gerotolios, a farmer in the village of Sotirio.

He received 6,600 euros from the Greek government in June, helping to repair farm machinery and renovate his home. But Gerotolios said he would quit farming if there were further destruction.    

For many farmers, last year's floods were already the final straw, leading to an exodus from the land. There used to be 100 families in Sotirio. Now, Gerotolios said there are around 15. 

Farmers are demanding more defences and support to protect them from future weather events and safeguard their businesses.

But the way farming works is also part of the problem. Agriculture accounts for 86% of water use in Greece, fuelling water shortages that exacerbate the risks of both drought and flood.

So how do you prepare against both floods and droughts?

Despite being opposites, they boil down to one thing: managing water.

As a warming planet leads to more water evaporation, dry spells last longer and the water stored in the atmosphere makes rainfall heavier, a 2021 World Bank report warned.

Building a network of small dams in the mountains, or expanding a lake near Sotirio, could help retain more floodwater and replenish the groundwater supply, said Nikitas Mylopoulos, a water management expert at the University of Thessaly. 

Fundamentally, though, he said demand for water was the biggest issue. Irrigation for farming has dried out natural sources and high levels of tourism have put extra strain on the region.

If farming has a future in this crucial breadbasket, the World Bank report said more needs to be done to incentivise farmers to switch to more sustainable practices like using organic fertilisers and cover crops.

The government is considering proposals from Dutch agricultural firm HVA. Along with recommendations on flood defences, another suggestion may be harder for farmers to accept: plant fewer water-intensive crops and abandon cotton.

The farmers say banning cotton is a "red line" and would require huge investment. But as the impacts from climate change hit harder and water becomes scarcer, they may soon run out of options.

See you next week,

Jack