A diversity of landscapes to protect
Greece is a land of multiple ecosystems. 15,000 km of coastline, hundreds of islands, but also mountains, which cover 80% of the territory, especially in the northern continental region. You will thus pass, in a few kilometers, from a sandy and arid coast to green valleys. Not to mention the twenty or so lakes in the country. There are 420 areas protected by Unesco and many areas classified Natura 2000. The biodiversity is rich. In May, 6,000 different species of wild flowers cover the four corners of Greece. In total, the country has more than 200 species of trees and large shrubs, and its forests are composed mainly of deciduous conifers, such as beech and chestnut. There are 900 species of animals, some of which are protected, such as the Mediterranean turtle Caretta caretta which finds refuge in the waters of Zakynthos and Kefalonia. The dolphin and the monk seal, present in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, are also the object of preservation actions. A large number of Greek beaches are awarded the Blue Flag every year, a sign of their environmental quality.
Green spaces to explore
Born under the impulse of the dictator Metaxas, in the 1930s, they are today ten in number, covering a total area of nearly 70 000 hectares. The oldest, founded in 1938, are those of Mount Parnassus (35 km2) and Mount Olympus (39 km2). The latter is home to a record 1,700 different plant species. There are also two national marine parks established in the 1990s: that of Alonissos (2,800 km2) where the last monk seals live and that of Zakinthos (135 km2) with the nesting grounds of loggerhead turtles. Strangely enough, neither the forest of Dadia nor the rich delta of Evros benefit from the status of national park. However, they are protected like 400 other sites as "nature reserves" within the framework of the European plan Natura 2000, with a ban on hunting. The Prespas National Park in Macedonia was created in 1974 and covers the Greek parts of the small and large Prespa lake as well as the slopes of the Triklari and Varnounta mountains. The Vikos Park, opened in 1973, is home to rare varieties of endemic plants, such as valerian, knapweed, lily, ramondie, yarrow, which are of scientific interest worldwide. Another well-preserved national park, inaugurated in 1938, is located at Mount Olympus. UNESCO declared it a biosphere reserve in 1981. Wild cats, bears, squirrels, deer and ibexes, 108 species of birds and more than 1,700 plants, 32 of which grow only here, flourish peacefully. This abundant flora is further enhanced by the presence of Jankea heldreichii, a plant left over from the ice age. As for the National Park of Pindus, it was founded in 1966 and covers 6,927 hectares. It is therefore the most important in Greece. The vegetation that grows there is very dense and protects, among others, a population of bears, wolves, jackals, wild goats and reptiles. The golden eagle is also well represented. The Parnitha National Park, opened in 1961 and covering 3,816 hectares, 30 km northwest of Athens, is one of the most visited in the country. Its vegetation consists of 90% of fir trees, Abies cephalonica or fir of Cephalonia, but also pines, scrub, and several varieties of crocus, tulips, lilies and violets. The national park of Sounion covers an area of 3.5 hectares and was established in 1971, southeast of Athens, around the famous Cape of the same name. It is a refuge for many species of migratory birds. For plant fans, you should know that the National Garden, a stone's throw from Syntagma Square in Athens, just behind the former Royal Palace, is home to more than 500 species of plants from all five continents. An oasis of greenery on more than 15 hectares.
Beware of fires
In August 2021, on the island of Evia alone, more than 50,000 hectares of the island were wiped out by fires. For their part, the regions of Athens, Boeotia and Peloponnese have suffered fires, as well as the islands of Thassos and Elafonissos are very regularly affected. But, above all, the country is still very marked by the painful memory of the fire in the seaside resort of Mati, which claimed the lives of nearly 102 people in 2018. Fires are larger, and more frequent, due to global warming, but also due to forest management. On television, advice to prevent fires is now broadcast, to encourage, for example, to trim branches of trees too close to homes or to clear gardens of dead leaves. Anyone who witnesses a fire should call for help as soon as possible, the European emergency number is 112.
Organizations Helping Wild Animals
As in other Mediterranean countries, terrestrial and marine biodiversity is impacted by human activity: urbanization, soil degradation by industry and agriculture, tourism are all threats to other living beings. And if the country has embarked on the production of "clean" energy, we are now discovering that the wind turbines that dominate the coasts cause the death of thousands of birds and bats every year. As for pesticides, whose use is encouraged by European aid, they are responsible for the 80% decline in the raptor population in the north of the country since the 2000s. At the end of June 2019, the European Commission initiated an action against Greece for its "inability to properly protect biodiversity." It believes that the country is not doing enough to protect natural habitats and species in its territory. Fortunately, some associations bring their stone to the building. The Hellenic Ornithological Society, founded in 1982, is dedicated to the protection of wild birds and their habitats. It is particularly active in observation and awareness raising at the Antonis Tritsis Park, in the Athens area (more information on www.ornithologiki.gr). The Arcturos foundation, created in 1992, is also dedicated to the protection of wildlife. It has founded a refuge in the north of Greece, near the village of Nymfaio, to take in injured bears and wolves.
A debatable energy policy
One of the big black spots in Greece's environmental policy is its dependence on fossil fuels. One third of its electricity comes from the combustion of lignite, an impoverished form of coal. It is in Western Macedonia that this material is mined and used in ageing thermal power stations, making it one of the most polluted regions in the country. The burning of lignite for electricity generation has a very bad impact on the environment and health. It consumes huge amounts of water, emits pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals and large amounts of carbon dioxide. Regular exceedances of European health standards cost Greece several million euros every year. The country has been developing renewable energies for more than ten years. Hydroelectric dams, as well as solar and wind power installations enable it to produce another third of its electricity. Solar energy, in particular, is well developed in Greece. But doubts remain about its ability to close all its coal-fired power plants by 2028, as promised by the government. The associations WWF Greece and Greenpeace Greece regularly alert on this subject. Inparticular, a project to build a new giant lignite plant, Ptolemais V, in the Kozani region, is under way.
The coming to power in 2019 of the conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government is not there to reassure environmental associations. It is also one of the few countries that has no environmentalist MEPs in the European Parliament. And, since the 2019 parliamentary elections, no more Greens sit in the Vouli (the Greek Parliament). In order to boost the economy, the Greek Parliament has authorised major oil companies such as Total, Exxon Mobil, Repsol and Hellenic Petroleum to drill in Epirus, the Ionian Sea and off the coast of Crete. In addition, it has authorised the continued extraction of gold in the Skouries mines in the north of the country. Environmentalists and local residents have been mobilizing for years against this project, which was led by the Canadian company Eldorado Gold and suspended by Alexis Tsipras in 2015. They point out that toxic substances, such as arsenic, are used to extract metals, which degrades the water table, the air and the soil.
Poorly managed waste
The other big black spot in Greece's environmental policy is its waste management. The country has already been condemned several times by the European Court of Justice for its failings in this area. Illegal landfills are numerous, and although this has improved in recent years, the infrastructure for hazardous waste is considered insufficient. On the outskirts of Athens, in Fyli, the country's largest landfill offers a sad spectacle of mountains of waste. Another symptomatic example: while the use of plastic bags was officially banned in 2017, their use continues and has even continued to increase. The Greeks do not sort enough. According to national statistics, half of the waste thrown into the blue bins provided for plastic is not. Only 16% of waste is recycled, compared to the European average of 44%. Tourists also have their share of responsibility, leaving cigarette butts, bottles and cans on the beaches. Thirty-six tonnes of plastic land in Greece's seas every day, according to the government, which is committed to a plan to reduce this waste. The association Clean Up Greece, founded in 1992, regularly organises clean-up and awareness raising operations. The Healthy Seas association, which is also involved in this field, recovers waste from the Mediterranean Sea to transform it into textile material.
The alternatives in action
Tourism is at an all-time high in Greece, now accounting for about 20% of GDP and employing 25% of the country's workforce. To avoid degrading its beautiful environment, Greece is now seeking to focus on quality, rather than quantity. Alternative forms of tourism are developing, such as agrotourism. It is possible to visit and stay in farms all over the country. One example is the organic olive farm Les Trois Tortues (www.trois-tortues.com), at the south-western tip of the Peloponnese, an eco-resort created by a Franco-Greek couple. It is also possible to volunteer in farms in exchange for room and board, the site https://wwoof.gr lists a hundred. But you can also find a lot of creativity in the city, starting with Athens, which hosts many organic and recycled stores, especially in the lively Exárchia district. Not to be missed!
