The Region of Western Greece covers the north western part of the Peloponnese and the west of Central Greece. It is strategically positioned and is considered Greece’s gate to the Adriatic and Western Europe. It has 679,796 inhabitants (2011, Census), which is equivalent to 6.3% of the total  population of Greece.

RWG comprises the regional units of Aetolia-Acarnania, Achaia and Ilia. Its headquarters are at Patra. As a public authority it has great experience and know-how (due to its multidisciplinary structure) in regional development and environmental protection issues. It promotes a sustainable socioeconomic development model and has adopted a bottom-up approach to support it.

RWG has a long coastline that is highly vulnerable to climate change. It also has extensive forest areas. Prior to the 2007 massive forest fires in the regional unit of Ilia, where a total 35,280.00 hectares of forest areas were destroyed, forest and forest areas accounted for 23.8% of its total land area (ELSTAT, 1999-2000). Natural hazards for the region, apart from forest fires, include inland flooding induced by extreme weather events.

Within LIFE-IP AdaptInGR, the Region of Western Greece will design and implement pilot projects for coastal zone management, flood risk management and forest fire prevention sectors, which are all very vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change.  RWG’s pilot projects include:

• coastal zone management in Kalamaki beach, in Western Achaia,
• delineation of the Inahos river in the regional unit of Aitoloakarnania;
• and forest fire prevention in the local communities of Peristeri and Geraki in the Municipality of Ilida.

Climate risks will be integrated into the design of pilot projects, while “green infrastructure” and “nature-based solutions” will be prioritized.

Website: www.pde.gov.gr

Contact persons for LIFE-IPAdaptInGR:

Stefanos Papazisimou

Head, Department of Hydroeconomy, Directorate of Environment and Spatial Planning, Region of Western Greece 

Εmail: s.papazisimou@pde.gov.gr

Maria Makri

Head, Department of Technological Applications, Directorate of Industry, Energy and Natural Resources, Region of Western Greece 

E-mail: m.makri@pde.gov.gr