Is paradise being lost? Raging wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes gives southern Europe a terrifying glimpse into the future

Photo: Kyriakos Peristeridis showed the ABC around the beach near Kiotari on his first visit back since the fires. From abc.net.au

Every summer, millions of tourists from around the world flock to Greece to island hop and marvel at the nation’s ancient ruins.

Tourism accounts for 25 per cent of Greece’s gross domestic product (GDP) and one in five jobs.

On Rhodes and many other Greek islands, reliance on tourism is even greater.

But experts say these sweltering heatwaves and catastrophic fires are likely to become more frequent going forward.

Scientists say the frequency of heatwaves in Europe and the US is increasing due to human-induced global warming.

One peer-reviewed study published in 2019 predicted that many European cities will look and feel radically different in the next three decades.

By 2050, the scientists claim, Madrid will feel more like modern-day Marrakesh, while London will have the weather of Barcelona, and Rome will feel like the Turkish city of Adana.

For those who live on the Greek island, the impact on their way of life could be devastating, according to Ms Nikolikou.

“All of these islands, if you see we have huge hotels and resorts over there, they have many employees,” she says.

“And the tourists choose the south of Rhodes in order to have peace, but now there is no paradise.”