Pilot Study. Wetland adaptation in Attica Region, Greece

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1 THEmATIC CENTRE Drought, Water and Coasts Piot Study Wetand adaptation in Attica Region, Greece

2 Three piot studies were carried out under the OrientGate Thematic Centre on Drought, Water and Coasts: cimate change adaptation in the water regime in Pugia Region, Itay (Piot Study 3); the effects of cimate change on wetand ecosystems in Attica Region, Greece (Piot Study 4); and water resources and hydroeectricity use in Itay (Piot Study 5).

3 Combined strengths In deveoping environmenta poicy guideines at regiona eve, Attica Region has focused on the protection of wetand ecosystems from the impacts of cimate change. Its Environment Directorate, in cooperation with the Greek Biotope Wetand Centre of the Gouandris Natura History museum, has assessed cimate change impacts and anthropogenic interventions and drawn up a strategy. This coaboration has expanded to incude centra, regiona and oca services, other authorities, research agencies, environmenta organisations and citizens, who have been encouraged to take action through interviews, meetings, workshops and seminars. Experiences have been exchanged; good and bad practices recorded; and the conservation of wetands and the need for cimate change adaptation promoted. Existing resources Attica Region faces the combined chaenges of a growing popuation and often competing and-use demands. Wetands are a significant eement of the region s natura environment, not ony as habitats but aso as part of the region s water resources and as recreationa areas. The region has more than 80 wetand areas, incuding akes Marathonas, Koumoundourou and Vouiagmeni; the coasta wetands of Skaa Oropou, Schinia, Vravrona, Brexiza, Lavrio, Loutsa, Vourkari- Megara, Psatha, Asopos and Kifisos; Pikrodafni and Rafina streams; and the Anavyssos satmarsh. As throughout the Mediterranean, and-use changes have been observed in Attica over the ast 40 years. The over-abstraction of water; poution from iquid and soid waste; encroachment; and the destruction of natura vegetation have a ed to the degradation of wetand resources. Cimate change impacts, exacerbated by anthropogenic pressures, are expected to ead to the disappearance of many transitiona wetand systems, whie many permanent wetands are expected to shrink. Facts and findings The piot study carried out in the framework of the OrientGate project focused on projections of the frequency and intensity of future drought episodes in Attica Region, the assessment of wetand vunerabiity, and the capacity of agencies to ensure their abiity to adapt. Based on future cimate projections, Attica s vunerabiity to drought is expected to rise from ow to moderate by Drought episodes are expected to ast onger and occur more frequenty. The synergy between drought and human intervention determines the eve of wetand sensitivity. Inadequate ega protection and a shrinkage in the size of wetands by up to 50 percent in the ast 40 years have been recorded, aong with a degradation in their vaues in terms of biodiversity

4 protection, food contro and recreation. Most of Attica s wetands have been cassified as highy sensitive to further degradation. At the same time, the agencies invoved in the conservation of wetands have an average adaptive capacity. There is insufficient knowedge of wetand ecosystems and their services; a ack of experience in the use and interpretation of cimatic parameters; few opportunities for networking and the exchange of experiences and good practices; average operationa capacities; and average avaiabiity of funds for impementing adaptation measures. In parae, there is increasing pubic understanding of the contribution of wetands to quaity of ife. Improving the adaptive capacity of the agencies invoved from average to high, and stopping or mitigating anthropogenic pressures are key requirements in the region. mitigating impacts Wetands are of exceptiona importance as they reduce the catastrophic impacts of foods; their vegetation stabiises coasta areas by mitigating the impacts of waves and currents; they improve water quaity by trapping sediments, nutrients and toxic substances; and they enabe the deveopment of economic activities. Attica s wetands are biodiversity isands within a broady degraded environment and offer oca inhabitants an opportunity to stay in touch with nature. The strategy for wetand protection must cover their sustainabe management and restoration; their interconnection within a green arc ; a socioeconomic evauation of the services they provide; awareness raising and environmenta education; as we as pubic participation. Strategy impementation is expected to mitigate the impacts on wetands of both anthropogenic interventions and cimate change.

5 Putting resuts into practice The Strategy for Wetands in Attica Region is the resut of the integration of cimate knowedge into poicy and panning. It was prepared on the basis of scientific research carried out by OrientGate partners, incuding the processing of geospatia data and data on cimatic parameters and wetand features, as we as information from programmes and activities currenty being impemented. The strategy incorporates eements from the Nationa Strategy and Action Programme on Biodiversity, the Master Pan of Athens/Attica 2021, the River Basin Management Pan for Attica Water District, and the operationa pans of municipaities in Attica Region. It cas for: enhanced research on cimate change impacts; the deveopment of food forecasting and eary warning systems; the ega designation of wetands; a network of wetand areas as eements of green infrastructure; the impementation of measures to tacke industria poution; sustainabe water use; reguations on wetand conservation in the context of urban expansion; the raising of pubic awareness via information centres; the protection and restoration of water-reated monuments and andscapes (springs on the ancient Erasinos River and the Makaria Spring at Schinias); support to inspection and contro mechanisms; networking, the exchange of good practices, and training for staff; the deveopment of poicies on the environmenta viabiity and sustainabiity of enterprises; and the prevention of negative impacts during panning.

6 Piot Study 1: Adapted forest management at LTER Zöbebode, Austria Piot Study 2: Cimate change adaptation measures in Romanian agricuture Piot Study 3: Cimate change adaptation in the new water regime in Pugia region, Itay 3 Piot Study 4: Effects of cimate change on the wetand ecosystems of Attica region, Greece 4 Piot Study 5: Water resources and the use of hydroeectricity, Itay Piot Study 6: Vunerabiity assessment in Budapest and Veszprém, Hungary Contacts Lead partner, project coordinator Antonio Navarra Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Cimate Change (CMCC) Via Augusto Imperatore Lecce, Itay Emai: antonio.navarra@cmcc.it Giuia Gauccio Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Cimate Change (CMCC) Corso Magenta Mian Itay Te.: (39-02) Emai: giuia.gauccio@cmcc.it Piot study 4 coordinator Argyro Paraskevopouou Attica Region Greece Sygrou Avenue 15 Athens Greece Te.: (30-213) Emai: argyro.paraskevopouou@patt.gov.gr Piot study 4 Research Partner Dr. Eeni Fitoka Greek Biotope Wetand Centre (EKBY) Greece 14th kiometre Thessaoniki - Mihaniona Thermi Thessaoniki Greece Te.: (30-231) Emai: heenf@ekby.gr