The forest of Dadia was visited by the President of PASOK-Movement for Change, Nikos Androulakis, the day after the presentation in Alexandroupoli of the Movement’s proposals for changing the model of prevention – dealing with natural disasters and restoring the affected areas.

Mr. Androulakis visited the management body of the Dadia-Lefkimis-Soufli National Forest Park and was informed about the effects of the summer’s devastating fires on the forest and the birdlife.

The following is the statement of Mr. Androulakis:

Last year a tragedy happened in Evros. A tragedy, however, that should have found us prepared.
Figures show the county has had its worst drought in seven years. The state, however, did not emphasize prevention and did not prepare in order to avoid the destruction of the Dadia ecosystem. With an avifauna, which, as informed by the officials from the O.F.Y.PE.KA., is one of the most important in Europe.

So, the state had to know and prepare. Seven years of drought can’t have rung the bell. Climate change is a given, but it cannot be a continuous alibi. The state must prepare, so that we do not have such tragic consequences.

We came to Evros, in Dadia, and yesterday we organized a conference where experts from the Democritus University of Thrace, the Fire Department, the local community spoke.

We owe it to the government and the opposition parties to discuss and agree on a comprehensive plan to restore the natural wealth of this pan-European lung, -Dadia-, but also the disasters suffered by breeders, farmers and the local community, so that the citizens to feel safe, to feel the state by their side and to prevent something similar from happening again in the future.

androulak