, Greece
City population: 2790721
Duration: 2015 – 2020
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Last updated: June 2024

Within the territory of the Region of Attica there are more than 100 wetlands including streams and their estuaries, coastal marshes and lagoons, lakes and constructed wetlands. They constitute “biodiversity islands” within a broadly degraded environment and offer the inhabitants of the Attica Region the opportunity to stay in touch with nature. A strategy and an action plan were developed for the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems in fighting climate change within the EU-funded OrientGate transnational co-operation project. (Ref. 1) Climate Change is expected to put additional pressure on these habitats as, based on future climate projections, Attica’s vulnerability to drought is expected to rise from low to moderate by the year 2100. Drought episodes are expected to last longer and occur more frequently than in the past. This phenomenon is expected to have a serious impact on Attica wetlands as most of them are rain-fed. (Ref. 1)

Wetland adaptation in Attica Region, Greece
Wetland adaptation in Attica Region, Greece
Source: https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/case-studies/wetland-adaptation-in-attica-region-greece-1

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
  • Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
  • Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
  • Marine and coastal research and/or education
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
  • Inclusive governance
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Tourism support

Focus

Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Coastal landscape management or protection, Protection of natural ecosystems, Strategy, plan or policy development, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity

Project objectives

The goal of the project was to produce a climate change adaptation strategy and an action plan, which: (i) involves monitoring and assessing the environmental quality of wetland areas in Attica Region, (ii) study drought deterioration in the future and (iii) put in force the implementation of a series of measures that reduce the regional vulnerability of wetlands to climate change (Ref 1), (iv) to assess the vulnerability of wetlands in Attica Region under projections of climate change, and (v) to support Region of Attica to formulate a wetland strategy for their conservation and climate change adaptation (Ref 2).  

Implementation activities

The following implementation activities were taken: - Increase the connectivity of natural areas. - Mitigate other threats, i.e. invasive species, fragmentation, pollution. - Study response of species to climate change physiological, behavioral, demographic. - Increase the number and size of protected areas. - Increase and maintain monitoring programs. - Initiate long-term studies of species responses to climate and model species ranges in the future. - Practice adaptive management. - Improve inter-agency, regional coordination. - Increase interdisciplinary collaboration. - Institutional capacity enhancement to address climate change. - Create education programs for public about landuse practices and effects on and with climate. (Ref 1, 3)

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Protect coastal and freshwater ecosystems to prevent coastal erosion and pollution
  • Restore wetlands and/or coastal ecosystems to dissipate the effects of flooding and/or storms

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
  • Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
  • Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Biodiversity offsets

Main beneficiaries

  • National-level government
  • Researchers/University
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • National government

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
  • Other

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

• Scientific support: Greek Biotope Wetland Centre (EKBY) • Political support: Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Climate Change (Ref 1)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (Case developed and implemented in line with the EU Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (Ref 1))
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (• National Strategic Reference Framework 2014-2020: in protection of the region (Ref 1) • The National Operational Plan for the environment (2014-2020), which covers objectives and priority actions for the waters and the implementation of the Water Management Plans. (Ref 1) )
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (• The Master Plan of Athens/Attica 2021: covers actions for their legal protection and their promotion as green infrastructures. (Ref 1) • River Basin Management Plan: (in the context of the Water Framework Directive implementation. (Ref 1) )

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national budget
  • EU funds

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Increased protection against sea level rise
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Enhanced carbon sequestration
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved soil quality
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Reduced risk of damages by drought
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increase in protected green space areas
  • Increased number of protection areas
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
  • Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased protection of threatened species

Economic impacts

  • Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • More sustainable tourism
  • Attraction of business and investment

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Improvement in people’s connection to nature
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
  • Increased appreciation for natural spaces
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Wetland adaptation in Attica. European Climate Adaptation Platform. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 22nd July 2020.
2. Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (EKBY). 2014. Wetland Vulnerability Indicator assessment for Attica Wetlands, Greece. Technical Report ORIENTGATE project. Thessaloniki.
3. The region of Attica. Available at: Source link. accessed on 22nd July 2020.
4. Orientgate (2014) Wetland adaptation in Attica region, Greece. Pilot study technical report 4. Available at: http://m.Source link. Accessed on 22nd July, 2020.
Wetland adaptation in Attica Region, Greece
Wetland adaptation in Attica Region, Greece
Source: https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/case-studies/wetland-adaptation-in-attica-region-greece-1