Uploaded on 2015-06-10 by DDS3

![The first photograph comes from google-maps. It shows the city of Chalkis and the surrounding area.][1] For the stocks and flows concept the first discussion is about the water of the city and the area. The next subject is food and land. And the last is capital and finances. 1) Water During our time it mostly comes from the lake of Paralimni. A small amount of water comes from the lake of Iliki, through an underground natural tunnel. Mainly Iliki gives water to the capital of the country (Athens) and the biggest volume of its water comes to the lake from a distant river (Mornos). The Paralimni lake is the biggest water reservoir for Chalkis and also for the farming and agriculture around it. Watering Chalkis from the lake of Paralimni has solved the problem of the quantity of water for a city that has become big and over populated during the last decades. Before that solution the water of the city came mostly from the interior of the island, e.g. the area of Eria. That solution used the old Roman aqueducts (there is a photo of a part of it), which was still in use till the end of the 19th century. ![the old Roman aqueduct, usually called "kamares"(=arches), photo from the official site of the city][2] Today there is a problem of quality of water, not of quantity. One good idea for improving the water quality is the following: the construction of small reservoirs around the highest mountain of Evia, called Dirfis, for the collection of the clear and safe water of small rivers and springs that are found there. 2) Food and land. Food in a modern Greek city has the same sources as in most modern cities of our time: the farming and agricultural areas of the territory around it and also the important parts of the country that are devoted to the production of food. It also derives from places far away from the city, the country and even the continent. It is very easy to find wines from Australia, South Africa and Chile, watermelons and grapes in the heart of the winter, all kinds of cheese from France, Italy etc. And because of the many immigrants you can also find food from Africa, Arabian countries etc. But things were much different some decades ago. In Chalkis there was a flea market and a place in the middle of the city where every Tuesday farmers from places near the city were selling their products. This market of local products was something that we know that its beginning goes back to the medieval times. It lasted almost up to the end of the 80’s. In the old photograph is shown this market at the first years of the 20th century. ![the market at the first years of the 20th century][3] from https://dimotikiagorahalkidas.wordpress.com These farmers used to be owners of small properties near the city, no more than 10 km around it. In most cases they were producing in a small plain, called Lilantion. It is worth mentioning that the watering system of the plain was firstly constructed and designed in ancient times, almost the 7th century BC. It is consisted of small and very small canals of water and a small team of men was responsible for the distribution of the water. The origin of the water was from the central mountains of the island and a nearby big river. It was a cause of fertility because of the sediments and the deposition of fertile earth. Nothing of the above exists anymore. The population of farmers in Greece has decreased dramatically and the land around the cities is been sold for housing and other commercial reasons. The prices have skyrocketed especially during the first decade of the 21st century. It was extremely difficult for the owner of a small property to insist in farming and to say no for some easy money from real estate. So the use of land has changed dramatically. An old way of living and cultivation has ended and also the financial model of the territory near and around the city. During the last five years there is a moratorium because of the financial crisis. But this has nothing to do with the planning and the general idea for the city and the surroundings and its suburbs. There are only two factors of some importance which are opposed to this situation: a) the environmentally thinking people who believe that earth is not only for building and earning money etc. b) the number of people who are engaged in the biological farming and producing of food. These people follow a different model of farming and working. They usually cultivate small farms, they want to produce local products for local markets and they want to minimize the consequences of the transportation of food products. 3) Capital and finances. The territory around Chalkis and the part of inland from the city up to 25 km to the west is industrialized. This is not a new situation. It has originated after the 60’s because of many reasons e.g. the big pathways, the proximity to Athens, the harbors (ports) of Chalkis and Piraeus etc. One of the reasons of prosperity was the lack of strict environmental regulations. Good for the industries, bad for the people and the quality of life. Big factories and industries were built. The local population found work in them and for some years the standard of living became better and the income of the households aroused. ![the AGET (Lafarge)cement factory in Chalkis][4] from the site of the newspaper kathimerini: www.kathimerini.gr But things started to change. At the beginning because of the socialistic models of the 80’s. And from the 90’s the new era of globalization started. Greek industry had to face many problems. And the problems grew while the financing became difficult and for the last five years extremely difficult. Greek and foreign capital prefers the new destinations of Turkey, cheaper Balkan states and in many cases Asia (especially China). As a result most of the factories around the city do not work anymore. Thousands of people are unemployed. The standard of living is falling. Enormous industrial buildings are abandoned and deserted. The situation seems to be so complicated that it is difficult for any prediction. But the city (and the country) needs a plan for the future. There must be found a solution. This solution has to be different from those of the past. I suggest that some of the important pillars of this solution are: the sustainability, the protection of the environment, the planning for the use of the land and the future trends for the development of the city and the country, the awareness for global climate change, the shortage of water in areas with big population density and of course the energy and transport infrastructures. [1]: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/w29L08wXj5a6yg9aPf68uQngIPiSf-zZJsefx8X7rx4R=w470-h357 [2]: http://www.dimos-xalkideon.gr/UpLoads/ePageUser/Kamares.png [3]: https://dimotikiagorahalkidas.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/agora_tzami.jpg [4]: http://s.kathimerini.gr/resources/2014-03/gre5263294_3629504-thumb-large.jpg