The Information Day on the Adaptation of the Central Macedonia Region to Climate Change was completed earlier with great success in the packed Hall of the Regional Council of the Region of Central Macedonia, in Thessaloniki.
This is the 7th Conference in a row held within the LIFE-IP AdaptInGR Project and organized by the Region of Central Macedonia (PKM) in collaboration with the Union of Regions of Greece (ENPE), the Central Union of Greek Municipalities (KEDE) and the Hellenic Society for Environment and Culture (ELLET).
During the Conference, the regions and sectors of first priority for the Adaptation of the Region of Central Macedonia to Climate Change were presented, as defined in the relevant PεSPKA prepared on behalf of the Region of Central Macedonia.
In particular, the main priorities of the Region include, in addition to agriculture, forests and renewable lands, biodiversity and ecosystems, water resources reserves, flood phenomena and coastal uses. Also, ski tourism, summer tourism, energy infrastructure and port infrastructure, transport, the built environment, health, etc.
As the Regional Governor of Central Macedonia and President of the Union of Regions of Greece, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, pointed out, a collective effort and immediate action is needed to limit and ultimately deal with the effects of climate change, typically stating that "there is no room for half-measures, postponements, or evasions . The climate crisis is here, it is a reality and a result of human activity. The time we have to change course is now limited."
For his part, the General Director of Environmental Policy of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Kostas Dimopoulos, in his online greeting pointed out the importance of the LIFE-IP AdaptInGR Project for the Adaptation of the 13 Regions of the country to Climate Change, which coordinates the Ministry of Environment and Energy and will be completed in 2026. Among other things, he noted that within the framework of the Project and in collaboration with the Municipality of Katerini, the creation of climate-resistant green public spaces is progressing and at the same time an Internet of Things system is being installed which will store measurements from sensors.
Greetings and speeches were also addressed by the President of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, Lazaros Kyrizoglou, through the President of the Regional Union of Municipalities of Central Macedonia, Ignatios Kaitetzidis, the President of the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Committee of the Union of Greek Regions and Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Christodoulos Topsidis, the Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Charalambos Feidas, the Rector of the International University of Greece, Stamatis Angelopoulos, the MEP and founder of the political organization Kosmos, Petros Kokkalis, the Deputy Regional Governor for Development and Environment, Kostas Youtikas, the Deputy Regional Governor for Infrastructure and Networks, Paris Billias, etc.
The 7th Regional Information Day on the Adaptation of the Region of Central Macedonia to Climate Change was enriched by the interesting interventions of representatives of the scientific and university community and civil society, while the screening of the short film "Climate Consciousness" by the student Katerina Paliouras (Experimental High School University of Patras) which won the Special Prize in the Student Competition organized in 2021, within the framework of LIFE-IP AdaptInGR, completed the work of the Conference.