Christos Stylianidis on FT: The summer will be difficult

of Thanassis Gavos

“Summer will be difficult,” he warns in an interview with Financial Times the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Stylianidisreferring to the prospect of fires in Greece.

The British newspaper notes that the strongest heat waves and the longer and drier summers cause more intense fires, which spread faster and are much more difficult to extinguish.

Citing data from the WWF for Nature, the newspaper reports that 80% of the scorched earth in Europe is in the Mediterranean countries.

Reference is made to the 152 million euros in addition to last year’s state budget that have been committed this year for firefighting aircraft and forest clearing and maintenance.

“Last summer we experienced unprecedented high temperatures which resulted in fires of 600 degrees Celsius. “This has shown us in the harshest way that we need to change the way we deal with natural disasters,” he said.

He then refers to the overlapping responsibilities that made decision-making complicated for both the deficient and the aging firefighting staff, issues he has attempted to resolve.

Among other things, it refers to the 500 “δασοκομάντος»With special training that has been mobilized, in the upgrading of firefighting aircraft and in the emphasis on fire prevention. “We are increasing many forest patrols and for the first time we are involving the army and volunteers,” says Mr. Stylianidis.

There is also reference to the pressure of Mr. Stylianidis for the implementation of a pilot program under which Greece will host about 250 firefighters from six European countries to provide assistance during the critical summer months. The program is funded by the European Commission and after the first test in Greece could be implemented in other countries.

“No one can face these devastating fires alone anymore. “Nowadays, the issue exceeds the national possibilities”, notes Mr. Stylianidis.