Professor Chrysi Laspidou, the Vice-Rector for Innovation, Internationalization, Collaborations, and Digital Governance of the University of Thessaly, served as a prominent speaker at a recent two-day conference addressing water management issues, held at the Technical Chamber of Greece, Regional Office of Magnesia. Her insightful presentation centered on the State-region planning contract among the Region of Thessaly, the Municipality of Volos, and the University of Thessaly aimed at enhancing flood protection of the city.

The Vice-Rector mentioned among others that mountainous watershed management projects are designed to retain water prior to its infiltration into urban areas. This is accomplished through the construction of terraces through forestry interventions, including tree planting in areas where sediment, soil, and erosion can be controlled, strategies that are classified as mild interventions.

In the second phase, which pertains to lowland areas, the focus shifts to identifying regions that are particularly vulnerable to flooding. “We evaluate various factors, including rainfall patterns, land morphology, urban development, the condition of watercourses, and the thresholds at which flooding may occur, thereby prioritizing projects in these areas. Our primary focus is on the streams within the Municipality of Volos, specifically Krausidonas, Anavros, Xirias, Aligarorema, as well as the Neapolis area and the Old Port Authority,” Professor Laspidou emphasized. She further noted that at these critical locations in Volos, they are assessing technical interventions, including the reconstruction of collapsed bridges, with the objective of implementing intelligent solutions to prevent recurrences of flooding experienced during the events of Daniel and Elias.

Vice-Rector Laspidou highlighted a significant challenge posed by the climate crisis: the reliance on outdated data, which leads to decision-making based on historical rainfall patterns rather than current conditions and the implications of climate change. Phenomena exhibit different intensities, necessitating an update to our data to ensure more effective coverage.

The comprehensive project is currently under development, with the study anticipated to be submitted to the Municipality of Volos and the Region by the end of the year.

The event served as a crucial reference point for the exchange of perspectives and the formulation of proposals aimed at addressing the challenges faced by Thessaly in relation to water scarcity and the climate crisis.