![\"sed-3842.JPG\"](\"https:\/\/tomanifesto.cachefly.net\/image\/large\/95\/sed-3842.JPG\")
<\/figure>\nThe second day will focus on resilient infrastructure,safe cities,<\/b> sustainable management, prevention, civil protection, climate adaptation, coordination of services and resources, fire season, artificial intelligence and the role of volunteerism in protecting Hymettus.<\/p>\n
Papastergiou: Microsatellites and Artificial Intelligence at the service of Local Government<\/b><\/p>\n
Speech by Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Dmitris Papastergiou, <\/b>showcasing the role of digital tools, innovation and artificial intelligence in modern governance, civil protection and environmental protection of cities.<\/p>\n
Papastergiou began his speech with a special reference to local government, noting that he is “in a group of people to which he belongs” because of his many years in the field. As he stressed, “the Local Government with such initiatives shows that it is in the middle of all these issues that concern modern cities and citizens”.<\/b> He even underlined that the job of the Local Government is not only “to fix the urban environment”, but also “to be there when the need arises” and, even more so, “to prevent situations before they arise”.<\/p>\n
Referring to gross land values,<\/b> the Minister noted that through the cooperation of the Ministry of Digital Governance, the Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection and the municipalities, there has been clear progress. “With the eye of the mayor,” he said, he saw in the last two years “for the first time so many plots of land cleared,” noting, however, that the issue does not end there, as better organization, citizen support and prevention are needed.<\/p>\n
A central point of his speech was the national microsatellite programme<\/b>, which, he said, now gives the country a very important civil protection tool. “Greece this year has another very important tool, which is up high, about 500 kilometres from the ground,” he said, referring to the 17 Greek micro and nano satellites.<\/p>\n
Papastergios explained that the new technologies can work complementarily with the drones, sensors and control centres already being deployed by municipalities and associations such as SPAY<\/b>. As he noted, “drones exist, they are not something very sophisticated and can provide solutions”, but in areas or conditions where drones cannot fly, “there is something bigger and more general that can help civil protection: the Greek microsatellites”.<\/p>\n
He made special reference to SAR<\/b> radar satellites, which can provide images “day and night, through clouds or in clear skies,” something he stressed is particularly important for civil protection, especially for flooding. At the same time, he announced the new open data platform, stressing that access to the data will be critical for local government. “Why is open data very important? Because now every municipality, depending on the needs they have, can build and set up programs based on open free data,” he said.<\/p>\n
Important news was his reference to the four thermal microsatellites launched a few days ago<\/b>. As he said, “the thermal satellites are tailor-made for the needs of the joint effort you are making in the SPAR,” as they can detect in near real time heat islands, whether they are fires or urban heat islands. He added that they can also provide data on water temperature, water volumes and fuel in forests.<\/p>\n
The Minister emphasized that this information will now be available free of charge to local government agencies. “This is information which until now existed but we had to pay for it.<\/b> This information can be obtained free of charge by the SPAI, the municipalities, any local government body that wants it,” he noted.<\/p>\n
He also referred to the national supercomputer “Daedalus”,<\/b> which is being built in Lavrio, noting that it will provide new possibilities in data processing and the use of artificial intelligence models. As he said, “whatever project exists that needs data processing, models that need to be trained and costs that existed until now, no longer exist”, as “on our national supercomputer, through Pharos, we can run AI models free of charge for the Local Government”.<\/p>\n
Papastergiou also announced that the launch of seven more optical microsatellites,<\/b> which will provide high-precision geospatial information useful for urban planning, zoning and planning, is expected this summer. As he stressed, “by combining all this data and data from space, we can have very critical information in local government whenever we want it and free of charge.”<\/p>\n
In conclusion, the Minister stressed that new digital tools, microsatellites, open data, smart cities and artificial intelligence can change the way civil protection is organised. “We are creating a much denser network of data and sensors throughout Greece, so that Civil Protection is not only about intervention when it occurs, but also about working proactively<\/b>,” he said.<\/p>\n
At the same time, addressing the President of SPAY Isidoros Madis, he expressed the Ministry’s willingness to organize a special workshop on the use of Greek microsatellite data by the Local Government, so that, as he said, “they now reach the end users, which is the Local Government.”<\/p>\n
Panel 1: Resilient Infrastructures and Safe Cities<\/b><\/p>\n
The first panel of the second day of the 5th SPAY Forum, on “Resilient Infrastructures and Safe Cities”,<\/b> which was moderated by Mayor of Kropias Dimitrios Kyousis<\/b>, highlighted the need for cities located on the outskirts of Mount Hymettus to arm themselves against the modern challenges of the climate crisis. The discussion was attended by the Secretary General for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Efthimios Bakoyannis, the President of the Technical Chamber of Greece, Giorgos Stasinos, the President of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities and Mayor of Larnaca, Andreas Vyras and the Head of the Athens Office of the European Investment Bank, Marianna Nathaniel.<\/b><\/p>\n
The main conclusion of the panel was that the resilience of cities and the protection of Hymettus are a two-way relationship: cities must protect the mountain, but the mountain must also act as a natural shield for the urban environment. In this context, the importance of clearing land, creating smart reservoirs and fire-fighting networks, using digital tools, sensors, cameras and artificial intelligence, and establishing clear land use rules and building limits was stressed.<\/p>\n
Special emphasis was also placed on flooding phenomena, with references to the need to control interventions that distort the natural terrain, such as berms in streams, which can have a serious impact on the residential fabric. At the same time, the need for flood protection master plans, early warning systems, digital twins for critical infrastructure, inter-municipal planning and mature projects that can benefit from European funding was highlighted.<\/p>\n
The panel highlighted that resilience is not a theoretical concept, but requires concrete planning, cooperation between the state, local authorities, scientific institutions and funding agencies, technological innovation and projects with a direct impact on the safety of citizens and the protection of Hymettus.<\/p>\n
The interventions of the participants were characteristic, with the Mayor of Kropias and panel coordinator Dimitrios Kioussis stressing that “the resilience of the cities under Hymettus can contribute to its protection”, while also pointing out the need to address interventions in the natural terrain, such as bazaomas in streams. <\/p>\n Secretary General for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Efthimios Bakoyannis<\/b> stood on the need for “shielding the mountain from the bottom up” with clear plots, smart firefighting infrastructure and digital surveillance and stressed that the protection of Hymettus starts from the cities themselves, with land clearing, smart water tanks, digital surveillance and clear building limits. <\/p>\n The President of TEI George Stasinos<\/b> stressed that “the important thing is resilience from now on in everything”, emphasizing the master plan that TEI will present for floods for all regions of the country, early warning systems and digital twins, and highlighted the need to use artificial intelligence and develop “digital twins” to monitor cities in real time.<\/p>\n The President of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities and Mayor of Larnaca Andreas Vyras,<\/b> conveying the experience of Larnaca, noted that for flood protection “there must be a comprehensive planning and financing” and stressed that local government must play a leading role in the implementation of critical infrastructure, While the Head of the Athens Office of the European Investment Bank Marianna Nathaniel<\/b> stressed that “resilience has been a priority for us for many years”, highlighting the potential for financing mature prevention and climate resilience projects, noting that resilience is a strategic priority for the EIB, with financing up to 75% for prevention and civil protection projects.<\/p>\n Panel 2: Environment, Sustainable Management and Prevention<\/b><\/p>\n The second panel of the day, on “Environment, Sustainable Management and Prevention”, moderated by Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Cleaning and Recycling of the Municipality of Papagos – Cholargos Michael Yfantis<\/b>, highlighted the need for environmental protection to be addressed as a shared responsibility of the State, the local government, businesses and citizens.<\/p>\n Michalis Yfantis set the tone for the discussion, stressing that “protecting the environment is not the responsibility of a few, but a matter for all of us”.<\/p>\n The Secretary General of Waste Management Coordination of the Ministry of Environment Manolis Grafakos<\/b> referred to the country’s path towards the circular economy, noting that “we are closer than ever to the circular economy model”, with new waste treatment infrastructure, the strengthening of recycling and energy recovery being critical axes of planning.<\/p>\n The Chairman of TEHAN S.A. Apostolos Mourgos<\/b> stood on the need for investment, technology and incentives for citizens, stressing that “recycling is the top priority in waste management” and the key link for citizen participation.<\/p>\n The First Vice President of the KEDE and Mayor of Vari – Voula – Vouliagmeni Grigoris Konstantellos<\/b> raised the issue of the responsibilities and resources of the Local Government with intensity, noting that “prevention starts from each municipality separately”, but municipalities cannot constantly bear responsibilities without the corresponding means, funding and institutional framework.<\/p>\n The Consultant of Pathway Networks to local government and social bodies Manos Kitsellis<\/b> highlighted the importance of environmental education, saying that “environmental education is an amazing tool that creates consciences”, as it shapes a new way of life and activates citizens from an early age.<\/p>\n The Environmental Services and Public Solutions Director of Saracakis Group of Companies Philip Menayas<\/b> focused on the modernization of cleaning equipment, digital tools and the need for municipalities to move from reaction to prevention. As he said, the main difficulty is that “we react to problems instead of trying to prevent them.”<\/p>\n A common finding of the panel was that sustainable management cannot be limited to theory or piecemeal interventions. It requires integrated planning, modern infrastructure, financing, technology, clear roles, citizen participation and effective support for local government to make prevention an everyday practice and not just a policy goal.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Panel 3: Civil Protection & Climate Adaptation – Modern Prevention Strategies<\/b><\/p>\n The third panel of the second day, “Civil Protection & Climate Adaptation: Modern Prevention Strategies”, which was moderated by Vice President of SPAY and Mayor of Agia Paraskevi Yiannis Mylonakis,<\/b> highlighted the need for a new, more specialized and operationally applicable planning against natural disasters, in a period where the climate crisis is changing the landscape.<\/p>\n The discussion was attended by the Secretary General of Forests of the Ministry of Environment, Efstathios Stathopoulos, the Emeritus Professor of Dynamic Tectonics, Applied Geology and Natural Disaster Management of the University of Athens and President of OASP Efthimios Lekkas, the Deputy Chief of the Fire Brigade, Lieutenant General Anastasios Pappas, and the Professor of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, an expert on peri-urban fires and forest-settlement mixing zones, Georgios Mallinis<\/b>.<\/p>\n The Vice President of SPAI and Mayor of Agia Paraskevi Giannis Mylonakis<\/b>, who moderated the discussion, set the framework of the topic from the beginning, linking political protection and climate adaptation with the everyday relationship of citizens with Hymettus. He stressed that it is crucial, both for SPAY and for the municipalities around Hymettus, “to create the conditions so that people come into contact with the mountain”. <\/b>At the same time, he also shared the experience of the local government from the field, noting that significant work has been done in Ymittos, especially through the anti-nero program and cooperation with the Forestry Department<\/b>, but that there remains a need for better supervision, information for citizens and more effective coordination between forestry services and civil protection.<\/p>\n Ethymios Lekkas<\/b> stressed that “we are not dealing with climate change, but with a climate crisis”, explaining that phenomena are becoming more extreme, more frequent, more complex and with greater impacts on infrastructure, environment, health and human activities. He also stressed that specific plans are needed for each municipality rather than general approaches, saying that “these plans cannot be copy paste”. As he noted, “we are more prepared than ever before. But there is a way.”<\/p>\n Estathios Stathopoulos<\/b> referred to the readiness of the forest management system, noting that it is “more ready than ever,” but that this does not mean there is a “magic way” to eliminate the fire phenomenon. He presented the anti-nero programme as the largest prevention programme in forest ecosystems in recent decades, noting that in the Ymitto, financial tools have been allocated “a hundred times more” than in the 2010-2019 decade. At the same time, he stood on the staffing of forestry services, new equipment, management studies and improved coordination with the Civil Protection.<\/p>\n The Superintendent of the Fire Brigade Anastasios Pappas<\/b> referred to the new law “Active Battle”, stressing that its key element is that it “brought the whole world around the table”. As he said, all stakeholders are given a distinct role and are involved in planning and decisions. He particularly emphasized the Fire Service’s new operational doctrine of “all hands on deck”, stressing that the time of detection and first response is crucial: “You have to catch it at the beginning. If you don’t catch it at the beginning, then it’s difficult.”<\/p>\n George Mallinis<\/b> analyzed the peculiarities of fires in forest-settlement mix zones, noting that these are areas with increased human activity, high proximity to forest ecosystems and high risk to human lives, infrastructure and ecological resources. As he said, these areas exhibit different fire behaviour due to the co-existence of natural fuel and man-made materials, and often create additional difficulties in extinguishing, evacuations and road use.<\/p>\n A common finding of the panel was that civil protection in the new era cannot be based on general plans or piecemeal interventions. It requires prevention, specialised planning per region, scientific knowledge, operational readiness, continuous cooperation of all stakeholders and effective participation of local authorities, so that Hymettos and the cities around it are shielded against the challenges of the climate crisis.<\/p>\n The 5th Forum of SPAV continues with the participation of representatives of the Government, Local Authorities, the scientific community, institutions, voluntary organizations and civil society, confirming that the protection of Hymettus and the strengthening of the resilience of cities require planning, cooperation, knowledge, technology and active participation of all.<\/p>\n The Forum will conclude with the “The Guardians of Hymettus”<\/b> awards ceremony, during which volunteer civil protection groups will be honoured by mayors of the Hymettus Protection and Development Association.<\/p>\n The event will be coordinated by the journalist Martha Lekkakou.<\/p>\n The 5th Forum SPAY is co-organized with the support of the Region of Attica, the Regional Union of Municipalities of Attica (PEDA), the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), the Greek Recycling Organization (EOAN). Supporters of the Forum are NOVA ICT, Aigeas AMKE of the Athanasios and Marina Martinou Foundation, CASTA ADVISORS, Sarakakis Business Group, Enser Environmental Services and the Mediterranean Innovation Center MECI. <\/b><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The 5th Forum of SPAY “Hymettos 2030: Prevention, Resilience & Sustainability and Governance”.![\"sed-3677.JPG\"](\"https:\/\/tomanifesto.cachefly.net\/image\/large\/95\/sed-3677.JPG\")
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