Collaboration Between the Regions of Western Greece and Crete on Climate Resilience Actions
The Regions of Western Greece and Crete co-organized a workshop in Heraklion on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, focusing on mutual information exchange and collaboration among participants involved in the European projects “The Region of Western Greece on the Road to Climate Resilience – Path4PDE” (Horizon 2020 - Pathways2Resilience) and “Climate Resilient crETE – Climate Resilient Crete” under the CLIMAAX Horizon Europe program.
The event featured opening remarks by the Deputy Regional Governor for Sustainable Development, Energy, Spatial Planning & Environment of Western Greece, Linos Bletsas; the Deputy Regional Governor for Climate Change & Sustainable Mobility of Crete, Ioannis Anastasakis; and the Deputy Regional Governor for Environment of Crete, Nikolaos Xylouris.
Representing the Region of Western Greece, Dr. Stefanos Papazisimou, Head of the Department of Climate Resilience, Directorate of Environment, Climate Resilience and Spatial Planning of Western Greece, presented the region’s vulnerability sectors and funding tools for resilience actions. Professor Emeritus G. Stefanidis (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Patras) and Dr. V. Syngouni (Scientific Associate of the Region of Western Greece) analyzed the contribution of the Initial Assessment and Stakeholder Involvement in shaping a Common Vision for the Region.
Deputy Regional Governor Linos Bletsas described the workshop as a milestone and a qualitative guide for the methodology that should be followed in all major issues of environmental policy and sustainable development. He also emphasized that the pursuit of common solutions between two Regions sharing many characteristics—in terms of agricultural and livestock production, green and blue economy, and water resource management—aimed at addressing multiple climate challenges, constitutes a strong foundation for their effective management.
