A meeting with the Board of the Hellenic Network of Resilient Cities (ELDAP) was held this morning (27/11) by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias. The President of ELDAP and Mayor of Elliniko-Argyroupolis, Yannis Konstantatos handed over to the Minister a costed study, which concerns actions and equipment supplies for the 140 municipalities of the network, of which, as Mr. Konstantatos said, 88% has suffered at least one major natural disaster.

Mr. Kikilias thanked the mayors, pledged to study the proposal of ELDAP, and will contact the relevant ministries to discuss on a realistic basis what actions can be implemented. The minister stressed that the key to dealing with natural disasters is prevention and that on an economic level, 1 euro invested in prevention “saves” 8 euros from the compensation given for disaster restoration due to extreme events, which are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity due to the climate crisis. He pointed out that natural disasters are dealt with in cooperation and this was demonstrated in this year’s fire season, where all civil protection agencies (Fire Brigade, ELAS, Armed Forces, Coast Guard, Foresters, Local Authorities of first and second-degree, volunteers, etc.) were trained together before the start of the fire season and during the summer they worked together in a coordinated manner in the field following the new doctrine of the Fire Brigade for forest firefighting, which is based on the direct intervention of ground forces and airborne means from the first moment of fire started, utilization of drones for rapid fire detection, etc.

Finally, the Minister informed us about the equipment and technological systems that the country is expected to receive this year through the AIGIS program, which can be used by municipalities for the prevention and management of natural disasters.

The meeting was also attended by the Vice President of the Network & Mayor of Argithea Andreas Stergiou, the Mayor of Viannos Pavlos Baritakis, the Mayor of Epidaurus Anastasios Chronis, the Mayor of Peania Isidoros Madis and the Mayor of Mantoudiou – Lake – Agia Anna Georgios Tsapourniotis along with the scientific staff of ELDAP.