Description
The basin and delta of Sperchios river situated in central Greece, in an important area from an environmental, ecological and hydrological point of view. It is an area with significant ecosystems and biodiversity contributing to the irrigation and water supply of the region. It faces significant problems caused by anthropogenic activities and natural processes: land use/cover change, extensive road and rail constructions, intensification of primary sector, soil and surface/underground water pollution, and flash flood phenomena. The aim is to research and design effective strategies to assess and address the sustainable and integrated management of the inland water and Delta coastal area of Sperchios. Fauna and flora inventories (rare, threatened, protected and other species) will be made. Data storage and analysis tools such as: a website, a geospacial database and a web geoportal will be developed, including data of geomorphology, water quality, sediment analysis and basin mapping. The socio-economic aspects of natural hazards with emphasis on flood effects in agricultural areas, the recorded problems, as well as recommendations and measures for the conservation, restoration and protection of the study area will be presented. The outcomes will increase the knowledge and awareness for the protection and management of Sperchios basin and Delta area. The target groups are local and regional authorities, policy makers, stakeholders, scientists, universities, students, NGOs, farmers, local population and public in general. SPERCHIOS will very actively disseminate the results through publications and presentations to the scientific community, training events, social media, and its website. Synergies and links with other EU and national projects will be established. The project partnership with the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research is underpinning the bilateral collaboration between Greece and Norway, and boosting cooperation and common policy strategies.
Summary of project results
River valleys and delta often constitute unique ecosystems in terms of compositional and functional biodiversity. These areas are usually also affected by severe human impacts, like habitat loss, land use changes and water pollution, as they often support dense human population and intense crop production. Ecological management of such areas evolves numerous interacting biotic and abiotic factors and the availability of robust data is a crucial factor for an effective and integrated management. The protected area of Sperchios River valley and delta (SAC, SPA) constitutes an important ecosystem in East Central Greece that faces multiple threats. The main aim of SPERCHIOS project was the creation of an effective Decision Support System that will contribute to the sustainable and integrated management of this area. During the project an integrated geodatabase was created, including detailed geospatial information, satellite images, the results of plant and animal inventories, distribution modeling, surface and ground water characterization, analyses of delta sediments, pollution levels and possible sources, cost-benefit analysis of flood events, evaluation of ecosystem services, etc. An easy-to-use open access geoportal was created, where users (public authorities, private sector companies, universities, researchers, NGO’s, farmers and local people) will find the project outcomes, as well as recommendations and measures for the conservation and management of the study area. The Geoportal function brought about the achievement of the original and long-term objectives of SPERCHIOS project, operating as a Decision Support System for the sustainable management of Sperchios River valley and delta.
Summary of bilateral results
A bilateral relations project was implemented under the frame of SPERCHIOS project and was funded by the EEA and Norway Grants 2009 – 2014. Scientists from the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA)-Greece visited (i) in Norway the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy (NIBIO) at Oslo, Ås and Tromsø, and the Arctic University of Tromsø, and (ii) in Reykjavik the University of Iceland (HI), while scientists from the University of Iceland visited the Agricultural University of Athens-Greece. The main achievements of the bilateral fund were to reinforce the dissemination activities of the SPERCHIOS project and to increase the visibility of its outcomes and achievements, to attain a fruitful exchange of knowledge and experiences for cross fertilization purposes and to improve mutual understanding between the participating institutions. A Memorandum of Understanding was developed and signed between the Agricultural University of Athens and the University of Iceland encouraging the exchange of faculty, staff and students, the exchange of academic materials and information, as well as the development of joint research activities. Furthermore, the networking and cooperation for future collaborations and possible submission of common projects were strengthened.