Immediate cleanups have begun under the anti-Nero program and the emergency funding from the Ministry of Interior for fire-affected municipalities. This includes the cleaning of all public spaces (parks, groves, roads, sidewalks) within the residential areas affected by the fire.

Starting today, Tuesday (August 20), a platform has been opened for citizens and businesses to submit claims for initial assistance for damages to residential and commercial properties.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy, in collaboration with municipalities, will announce by the end of August the details of the special program “Greening My Garden – Greening Penteli,” which aims at the immediate cleanup and redevelopment of private gardens that have burned, using fast-track procedures in cooperation with forestry services.

The government has tasked the OFYPEKA and forestry services with preparing and presenting by the end of September a special plan for fire prevention and the restoration of Attica’s forests and streams.

At the same time, reforestation projects covering 58,340 hectares in Attica are being contracted with resources from the TAIPED and forestry services, under the Antinero program.

Comprehensive management studies for all forests and mountainous areas of Attica, covering a total area of 1.4 million hectares, will be implemented and presented in the coming weeks. The goal is to designate forestry cooperatives as managers of these forests for the next fire season as part of the forest reform.

Fire prevention studies are being developed for the entire country, covering a total area of 42 million hectares.

For the first time, Local Urban Planning Plans are being developed under the K. Doxiadis reform, incorporating special provisions for protecting residential areas adjacent to forests from climate crisis risks and fires.

Overall, more than 2.1 billion euros are allocated for upgrading the systems and infrastructure of civil protection, with approximately 1 billion euros from national and EU resources for the protection and management of forests.

In preparation for the next fire season, the policy for land cleaning will be upgraded and strengthened with additional supervisory tools, control capabilities, and penalties.