One year after Storm Daniel hit Thessaly, Coca-Cola immediately mobilized to provide relief to the residents of the Thessaly region affected by the devastating floods of Storm Daniel. With the completion of the anti-flood project in the Municipality of Trikkaia, it stands by the affected and proves how important the infrastructure projects are that will improve the daily life of the people of the local communities.
Coca-Cola in Greece, in just one year, implemented this important anti-flood project in collaboration with the International Organization Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) and with the funding of the Coca-Cola Foundation. Essentially, it is the first private-public partnership project in the Thessaly region, after the catastrophic floods in September 2023 and the said anti-flood project concerns the installation of a new rainwater removal pipeline from the area of Bara to the ditch of Balkoura of Trikala .
The aim of this project, which was implemented with the support of the Coca-Cola Foundation, is to strengthen the resilience of the area in order to shield it against heavy rainfall, because now it will be possible to remove the water and benefit the inhabitants as a whole Municipality.
The anti-flood project complements and reinforces the projects of the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation of the Municipality of Trikkaia (DEVAT) and is expected to function as a protective shield in the event of future extreme weather events, contributing to the prevention of flooding in the area and to the overall resilience of the place in the face of climate change.
The project will breathe new life into the area
In a special event held in Trikala for the handover of the project, the Secretary General of Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid, Mr. Petros Kambouris, was present, among others, who characteristically said “It is a great honor to be here at the inauguration of a flood prevention project of key importance, which is delivered to the city of Trikala, one year after the phenomenon of bad weather Daniel and the powerful disasters caused in the whole of Thessaly. This project is a tangible example of the creative partnership between the central State, mainly the local government, and the active and visionary private sector, which in this particular case goes by the name of Coca-Cola in Greece”.
The Mayor of Trikkaia and president of PED Thessaly, Mr. Nikolaos Sakkas, who in his statements emphasized that “The cooperation of our Municipality and DEVAT with Coca-Cola in Greece and GWP-Med was flawless. This partnership can be a model for the way it was implemented, from the very first moment. At the same time, our common path gave tangible examples of the ways in which the Local Government and the private sector can contribute to dealing with aspects of the climate crisis, which so strongly affected the town and villages of our Municipality. With flood protection projects implemented in a real minimum time, we seek to become stronger against extreme natural phenomena, protecting citizens and their properties. I would like to thank each and every partner from our Municipality, DEVAT and the cooperating companies, who contributed to the realization of this great – from all sides – project”
The event was also attended by the President of the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company of Trikala (DEVAT), Mr. Christos Blougouras, as well as the General Manager of The Coca Cola Company for Greece, Cyprus and Malta, Mr. Stavros Mourelatos, who stated that “The completion of the flood control project in the Municipality of Trikkaia is a very important milestone for us. We are proud that with the support of the Coca-Cola Foundation, we stood by the residents and responded immediately, completing the project in just one year, thus strengthening the resilience of the area. Our commitment to stand by the local community remains steadfast and we will continue to invest in projects that promote the quality of life of residents and protection from the effects of the climate crisis. We thank all our partners and the local community for their support in the actions we implemented together for Thessaly”.
Finally, the President of the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean, Mr. Michael Skoullos, stated that “Events like the catastrophic storm Daniel can no longer surprise us. All climate change projections point to an increase in extreme weather events, making it urgent and necessary to strengthen the resilience of our cities. We have seen it recently in Central Europe and elsewhere on the planet. In close cooperation with the Municipality of Trikkaia and reinforcing the projects it had already launched, we designed and implemented with the support of the Coca-Cola Foundation a project that shields the area of Bara, in the heart of Trikala, against floods. Our intervention also includes empowerment actions for local bodies, but also a new specialized school education program on climate resilience that will be implemented for the first time in the schools of Trikala” while Carlos Pagoaga, President of the Coca-Cola Foundation, noted: “The completion of this anti-flood project in collaboration with GWP-Med and the Municipality of Trikkaia, is an important step to protect the area from the effects of extreme weather events, while contributing to strengthening the resilience of the local community.”
The actions and overall contribution of Coca-Cola to the victims of Trikala
From the first moment, Coca-Cola Hellas and Coca-Cola Tria Epsilon stood by the residents of Trikala who were affected by the bad weather, by donating essential items such as bottled water as well as clothes and school supplies for those who needed them. Finally, through the collaboration with the Bodosaki Foundation and Doctors of the World, a five-month aid program was implemented for the affected through a mobile unit, which made organized visits to villages, but also door-to-door visits for the vulnerable groups. All these are very important initiatives and actions of Coca-Cola in Greece as they are part of its corporate culture and its responsibility towards society and people.
Source: Skai
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