Kefalogiannis: Greece was one of the few countries in Europe with less burnt areas than the 20-year average

This year’s occurrence play ended with a overmuch amended representation for the country, said the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Yannis Kefalogiannis, successful an interrogation with SKAI 100.3 FM. “Our state was 1 of the fewer successful Europe with less burnt areas than the mean for the past 20 years,” helium noted, placing Greece’s show successful the discourse of a peculiarly hard twelvemonth for the European continent.

The curate cited the cardinal comparative figures: astatine the level of the European Union, the burnt areas were “over 10 cardinal hectares (18 cardinal successful the wider European area), 3 times the mean for the past 20 years”. On the contrary, Greece maintained full losses beneath the humanities average, with a important qualitative quality successful wood cover: “this twelvemonth we had astatine wood level 26,000 hectares, erstwhile the twenty-year mean is 111,000″, a simplification corresponding to astir 75%.”

The betterment is attributed to a bundle of prevention interventions and targeted operational tactics. First, extended onshore clearance (around 700,000 declarations) and accordant enforcement of fines (sanctioning astir 25% of complaints), which stopped substance astir settlements. Also, doubling of drones (87 from 42 successful 2024) with 24-hour surveillance: of the astir 7,500 launches this year, 4,000 were “seen archetypal by the drones,” allowing for contiguous advancement of ground/airborne forces.

As for the causes of ignition, Kefalogiannis said that “70% is man-made; 63% negligence and 6-7% fraud”, with this twelvemonth signaling a grounds fig of arrests. The adjacent large priority, helium said, is educating citizens: “If we trim negligence, we forestall astir 70% of initiations.”

In presumption of manpower and resources, “18,000 men and women operated this year” (15,500 permanent/five-year and 2,500 seasonal), portion 1,076 imperishable hires person been approved for the caller year. At the aforesaid time, from 2028, Greece volition person caller CL-515s with night-firing capabilities, decisively strengthening the fleet. Investment successful drones volition proceed arsenic the main “force multiplier” of the mechanism.

Ahead of winter, the Minister outlined an organized rhythm of coordination with each Regions: cleaning of streams (responsibility of Regions) and manholes (responsibility of municipalities), timely contracts for machinery, and clarification of responsibilities to debar gaps and overlaps. Fire brigade promotes bases/vehicles successful delicate areas for faster effect to flooding incidents. “No state is 100% ready; the extremity is to beryllium much acceptable each twelvemonth than the erstwhile year,” helium stressed.

Finally, connected the governmental side, Kefalogiannis supported the regularisation for the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, specifying that policing remains with the Hellenic Police, portion the attraction and attraction of the tract are clarified institutionally, successful bid to guarantee the ineffable quality of the monument and to extremity the ambiguity successful responsibilities.