PARTNERS

Green Fund (GRFU) is a Public Legal Entity, associated to the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE). The establishment of GRFU (Law 3889/2010) allows a wide distribution of funds, coming from environmental taxes, fees for environmental damage, auctioning of EU ETS allowances etc., to targeted environmental conservation programs.

GRFU’s objective is to stimulate sustainable development through environmental protection and conservation by providing administrative, economic, technical and financial support for programs, measures and interventions aiming at improving and restoring the environment and combating climate change. To this end, the GRFU finances programs set up by MEE to be implemented by other Ministries and subordinated bodies, local authorities, legal entities and other stakeholders of the public sector. The annual budget of GRFU is more than 60 M€.

Green Fund is the National Contact Point for the LIFE Programme (Environment) in Greece and participates (as a partner or as coordinator) in various LIFE Projects. Green Fund also provides part of the national contribution in EU approved LIFE projects.

LIFE EL BIOS Project Manager: Vasilis Bontzorlos (vbontzorlos@prasinotameio.gr)

LIFE EL BIOS Communications Manager: Rania Pilidou (rpilidou@prasinotameio.gr)

The Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA) is a public body governed by private law, operating under the supervision of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE). According to its founding legislation, NECCA constitutes the sole successor of the National Center for Environment and Sustainable Development and the 36 Protected Area Management Bodies (Laws 4685/2020, 4722/2020, 4819/2021).

NECCA’s mission is the implementation of national environmental policy via the management and governance of protected areas in Greece, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and the promotion of sustainable development.

To this purpose, NECCA undertakes the coordination of policy implementation for all protected areas, organization and integration of biodiversity datasets, provision of technical and scientific support to the Hellenic MEE, implementation of Natura 2000 management plans, and collaboration with public and private bodies, research and educational institutes, NGOs for the effective management of protected areas and the promotion of sustainable development.

NECCA is a participant in various LIFE, INTERREG and Horizon2020 projects.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) is the largest Greek University, including 10 schools/faculties and 40 Departments. It is one of the best multi-thematic universities in Southeastern Europe, with international recognition.

The Department of Rural and Surveying Engineering of AUTH, is divided in three main Sections: 1) Geodesy and Surveying, 2) Cadastre – Photogrammetry -Cartography, 3) Transportation – Hydraulic Engineering.

The Department has broad experience in environmental related sciences, engineering, rural development and planning, natural resources monitoring, and sustainable development, whereas it conducts both basic and applied research related to land use, land-use change, and environment through Remote Sensing Data Assimilation and Geospatial Modeling.

Its personnel deliver scientific expertise and research excellence focusing on the fields of Environmental Remote Sensing, GIS and webGIS, Essential Variables, Web Visualization Tools, Dashboard Development, Big Data handling and Earth Observation (EO) applications.

Project Scientific Manager for AUTH-DRSE: Mallinis Giorgos (gmallin@topo.auth.gr), Associate Professor AUTH

The Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre was established in 1991 in Thessaloniki, as a branch of the Goulandris Natural History Museum. Its aim is to promote the sustainable management of renewable natural resources in Greece and the rest and the Mediterranean and Europe.

It has extensive experience in the implementation of EU legislation and policies, including the Nature Directives (2009/147/ΕC and 92/43/EEC) and Biodiversity Strategy, and in inventorying, monitoring, mapping and assessment of ecosystems, habitats and species. In specific, EKBY has played a key-role in the establishment of the Natura 2000 Network in Greece, coordinates the drafting and supports the submission of national reports of EU Nature Directives for the last three reporting periods and maintains a biodiversity portal (www.biodiversity-info.gr) with more than 200,000 visits/year.

EKBY carries out applied research and information and education activities, and provides scientific support to government services and authorities, particularly those responsible for protected areas and biodiversity, ecosystem management, climate change adaptation, legal protection of wetlands outside of protected areas etc. It is an institutional member of Ecosystem Services Partnership-ESP and has been involved in mapping and assessment of ecosystems services, specifically focusing on the assessment of ecosystem condition and connectivity.

Also, it is institutionally responsible to operate the National Monitoring Network for Lakes (water quality and quantity) and undertake ecological status assessments, according to Water Frame Directive (2000/60/EC).

LIFE EL BIOS Project Manager (on behalf EKBY): Helena Hadjicharalampous (helena@ekby.gr)

University of Thessaly (UTH) was founded in 1984 and is a prominent institution of Higher Education. The University of Thessaly is comprised by 37 Departments and 8 schools and is considered today the third biggest University in Greece.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (DECE) of UTH, promotes the research and applications of Science and Technology of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in the sections of Applications of Computer Science, Software Engineering and Information Systems, Hardware and Computer Architecture, Signals, Telecommunication and Networks, Energy, Smart Grid Energy Systems, Applied Informatics.

DECE has an advanced experience on wireless networks with emphasis on access layer protocols, cooperative networks, directional antennas, quality of service provisioning and network management, earth sensors related to delivering field data in respect to natural resources status.

LIFE EL BIOS Scientific Officer & Associate Professor UTH, Athanasios Korakis (korakis@e-ce.uth.gr)

The European Topic Centre for Spatial Analysis and Synthesis (ETC-UMA) is an international research center based at the University of Malaga (Spain) since 2011. Its mission is to develop environmental knowledge to support evidence-based policy and decision-making. Researchers at ETC-UMA are part of the core team of a network of European Topic Centres that support the European Environmental Agency (EEA) in the implementation of various thematic components of its  regional  strategy  and  multi-annual  workplans. This support includes data management and the design and maintenance of EEA’s Integrated Data Platform and Pan-European land, soil, and ecosystem assessment.

ETC-UMA has actively shaped the European-wide ecosystem assessment as part of the MAES working group of the European Commission. Besides, ETC-UMA team is engaged in global and regional initiatives leading on and contributing to international and European projects. Among its activities, ETC-UMA is leading since 2016 the Mediterranean Biodiversity Protection community, a network of around 300 institutions, that are ensuring tools and approaches to reduce pressures on biodiversity in the region.

OLYMPOS CONSULTING firm is stated in Thessaloniki and is staffed by scientific personnel with a 20-year experience in environmental development planning. The company specializes in providing consulting services, conducting research and technical studies in addition to implementing National and European Programs in the field of Natural environment.

OLYMPOS personnel have participated in the completion of more than 70 Forest Management Plans for both private and state-owned forests in northern Greece, in addition to forest fire risk management plans for forests such as the Pindos National Park by structuring spatial databases, creating fuel models and design multiple scenarios through fire risk maps, Flame Length Maps, Thermal intensity maps and Fire Spread Maps, and have also participated in national monitoring projects and EU Interreg projects.

In addition, OLYMPOS scientific personnel apart from natural resource management and environmental protection studies has also great experience in providing expert consultation regarding environmental law and property law of forested lands.

LIFE EL BIOS Project Manager: Thomas Lagkas (Lagkas@olympos-consulting.gr)
LIFE EL BIOS Communications Manager: Alexios Oikonomou (Oikonomou@olympos-consulting.gr)