On 14 and 15 April 2022 SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 will be in Greece at the Chalastra plain, near Thessaloniki, for the fourth event of the KnowRiskFlood campaign and to meet local stakeholders. The events are organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS, AUTH), the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and ISOTECH of Cyprus.
SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 project addresses sea level rise and subsidence through detailed measures to implement future flood scenarios for the years 2030, 2050 and 2100 with particular attention to 6 Case Studies in the Mediterranean sea and the Chalastra area is one of these. The latter is a coastal plain of the Thermaic Gulf, in the Aegean Sea, formed by the river Axios, Aliakmones, Loudias and Gallikos delta. It is a UNESCO protected site and it hosts the Axios - Loudias - Aliakmonas National Park, a wetland with a rich biodiversity and a source of life for migratory birds.
SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 has turned its attention to the coastal plain of Chalastra and to the lagoon of Kalochori, at its north-eastern limit, where the effect of the increase in sea level is amplified by the slow sinking of the soil, a phenomenon known as subsidence. The lagoon itself was formed as a result of subsidence which, since the 1970s, has lowered the surface to an altitude of 3-4 meters below sea level due to groundwater extraction, to supply of the city of Thessaloniki, made without an eco-sustainable vision.
The aim of the meetings is to raise awareness among coastal communities of the rising sea level, its consequences and the call for action, identifying specific needs to develop suitable and sustainable solutions.
The meeting with stakeholders will be held at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. It’s based on a participatory method of decision support, specifically implemented by ISOTECH, standing on the study of perception. With these methodologies we intend to support in particular the decision managers in the development of suited solutions for the mitigation of the increase of the level of the sea through adaptation policies.
The KnowRiskFlood campaign is a scientific dissemination event organized by SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 for students and teachers of the Echedoros High School in Kalochori with products and a format specially designed and tested by a group of experts of INGV. Interactive seminars and educational games conducted by AUTH and INGV will aim to stimulate a debate on the phenomenon, causes, effects and future projections. "What is happening on the coast of Chalastra and Kalochori? What can be done to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels?" SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 will answer these questions by listening to views of students who live the consequences of the phenomenon on a daily basis.