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Project supported 50% by a grant from the EEA Financial Mechanism period 2004-2009 and 2009-2014 and 50% by the General Secretariat for Investments and Development

  • The project
  • Project promoter and partners
  • Activities
  • News

The project

The Prefecture of Rodopi is situated in the North-Eastern part of Greece and belongs administratively to the Region of East Macedonia and Thrace. It has abundant natural and cultural resources but these have not been used wisely and for the benefit of the sustainable development of the area. The low index of population density shows the problem of the rural area abandonment and particularly of the mountainous and disadvantageous areas. On the other hand, the high index of senescence shows that the population of the prefecture is aging. The area lacks the necessary infrastructure which would promote the conservation and sustainable development of the resources of the area.

The need of this project was shown by a study conducted by the Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (summary is attached herewith). In that study the natural and cultural resources of the Rodopi prefecture are described and assessed, conservation aims were identified and priorities were pointed out. Finally measures were proposed for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of these resources. Several of these measures will be activities of the proposed project.

The main problems which are expected to be addressed by this project are caused by a) the intensive agriculture in the flatlands of the prefecture. This type of cultivation is the main economic activity of the area, b) the degradation of forest ecosystems.

These problems have the following consequences: a) overpumping of the underground water for irrigation and intrusion of sea water into the underground waters, b) degradation of the surface water quality, inter alia, as a result of the decrease of the water levels during the summer, c) decrease of the forested areas resulting in soil erosion and the degradation of the mountain landscape, d) lack of the necessary infrastructure to monitor the condition of the surface and underground waters in terms of quantity and quality. The project aims at 1) the creation of a modern information background for collecting, managing and transmitting meteorological, hydrological and forest data in the Rodopi prefecture, 2) the design and implementation of measures for upgrading the natural functions and values of Ismarida lake, 3) the improvement of the degraded forest ecosystems of the prefecture.




Project promoter and partners

 

PROJECT PROMOTER

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DECENTRALIZED ADMINISTRATION OF MACEDONIA - THRACE

 

PARTNERS

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Regional Development Fund of East Macedonia – Thrace
     
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The Goulandris Natural History Museum
Greek Biotope-Wetland Centre (EKBY)
     
logo fd   The Management Body of the Delta of Nestos – Vistonida - Ismarida

 

Activities


The project includes the following actions:
    - Creation of infrastructure for spatial data at regional level.
    - Installation of a network of meteorological and hydrometric stations.
    - Analysis of the pressures exerted on Ismarida lake by the present management of agroecosystems.
    - Evaluation of the functions and values of Ismarida lake.
    - Proposals and implementation of measures for the protection and rehabilitation of the ecosystem of lake Ismarida.
    - Planting and improving the status of forests in the Rodopi prefecture.
    - Communcation of the project methods and results.

The target groups of the project are bodies responsible for a) the management of water and forest resources, b) the evaluation of the agricultural policy measures and the preparation and implementation of crop redistribution programmes and c) the environmental protection. Also, the water users of the prefecture, the general public as well as scientists. The project may be described as innovative because it utilizes modern forms of the following: a) communication and data transmission. Wireless transmission with renewal rate measurements in real time, local storage of measurements in case of telemetry difficulty, building a chain of communication between the stations, use of contemporary forms of data access through the internet and high technology nets such as the net "Syzefxis" or satellite internet, b) management, organization and dispersion of data: web application of GIS and SDI, c) hydrological simulation systems, e.g. MIKE SHE/MIKE 11 & FEFLOW.

The expected benefits of the project are: Strengthening of the competent authorities in decision making with regard to sustainable management of forest and water resources. Immediate and controlled access at all the levels of available information on the water and forest resources and minimization of the cost of collection, treatment and keeping of data files by the various Directorates of the Region. Updating on the status and trends of lake Ismarida ecosystem. Increase of the forest cover in areas where the forests are degraded. Raising of environmental awareness of the public. Quicker information for the public (e.g. for issues related to the forest areas, for water availability). Dissemination of the information on the resources of the prefecture.

News



newFIRST INFORMATIVE MEETING OF THE PROJECT | 15/03/2012
The Decentralized Administration of Macedonia - Thrace and the Goulandris Natural History Museum / Greek Biotope - Wetland Centre, organize the 1st informative meeting of the Project "Protection and rehabilitation of water and forest resources of the Prefecture of Rodopi", to be held at the hall of the Region of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace (1st floor, Regional Unit of Rodopi, former building of the Prefecture) in Komotini, on March 16, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. During this meeting, the Project's aims and activities, as well as part of its' results, are going to be presented.


newBOREHOLES CONSTRUCTION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GROUNDWATER MONITORING NETWORK IN THE PREFECTURE OF RODOPI | 06/06/2011
Construction of six boreholes for the establishment of a groundwater monitoring network in the Prefecture of Rodopi. More...


newPLANTING AND IMPROVING THE STATUS OF FORESTS IN THE RODOPI PREFECTURE | 06/06/2011
New planting in degraded forest sections in the areas of Krystallis and Poa off north Prefecture Rodopi was concluded. More...


newDEVELOPMENT OF DETAILED HYDROLOGICAL MODELS OF SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER OF RODOPI PREFECTURE | 06/06/2011
The development of the hydrological model of surface water of Rodopi Prefecture (with the use of ΜΙΚΕ SHE/ΜΙΚΕ 11) and the development of the simulation of groundwater in the same area (with the use of FEFLOW), have been completed. More...


newCOMPLETION OF THE REEDBED MANAGEMENT STUDY OF LAKE ISMARIDA AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPOSED MEASURES | 02/06/2011
The Reedbed Management Study of Lake Ismarida and the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed measures were completed in January 2011. More...


newUPDATE ON PROGRESS OF ACTIVITY B2: EVALUATION OF THE FUNCTIONS AND VALUES OF ISMARIDA LAKE | 02/06/2011
Lake Ismarida monitoring and food-web components investigation for Lake’s restoration


newUPDATE ON PROJECT PROGRESS | 25/11/2010
The following contracts have been awarded or are being signed:
    1. Installation of piezometric head gauges in the prefecture of Rodopi
    2. Monitoring-Analysis of water samples from lake Ismarida
    3. Definition and description of the interventions required for management of reed bed in lake Ismarida
    4. Reforestation and rehabilitation of forests in areas Crystali and Poa in the prefecture of Rodopi
    5. Environmental Impact Statement for the management of the reed bed

Furthermore, there has been considerable progress in the design of the two web based GIS applications, the development of hydrological models in the prefecture of Rodopi and the evaluation of values and functions of Lake Ismarida.


newDISSEMINATION: ATTENDANCE TO CONFERENCES | October 2010