From Risk to Resilience: Interdisciplinary Approaches in Geography

Slot 1 · Fri 27 Nov · 11:30–13:00

1. 1.THE GREAT WILDFIRES OF 2007 ΙΝ PELOPONNESE AND THE REGENERATION OF FORESTS

   Eleni Papaoikonomou, Sotiris Karalis

   • University of West Attica
   Abstract

   The fires of the summer of 2007 in Greece have been recorded as the most destructive in Europe in recent decades. The total area burned exceeded 250,000 hectares, of which 30,132 were located within the Natura protected areas 2000 network. Furthermore, for the first time, the damage report included not only burned forests and agricultural land, but also entire villages, civil infrastructure and the loss of 57 lives. This research thoroughly investigates and examines the short, middle, and long term impact of these catastrophic wildfires. It estimates the severity of the impact and the time needed for regeneration of the forests, regeneration implying that the forests returned to their previous extends and syntheses before the fires. The study is conducted using remote sensing data and methods, i.e., satellite images and products from NASA's MODIS satellites, namely the products MOD09A1 and MCD64A1. Seven different polygons (burned areas) were singled out as Regions of Interest (ROIs) and their evolution was monitored for the entire period of satellite data (2002-present) with the construction of the time series of the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NBR (Normalized Burn Ratio) ratios. The post-fire yearly evolution of these ratios was compared with the averaged pre-fire values leading to some first conclusions. It is noted that the NBR index is normally used as the difference pre-fire to post-fire (dNBR) but the particular point in time that is considered pre-fire can be varied to conform with the scope of the study. Additionally, the concurrent examination of the two indices can provide useful input for the timely growth of the forest vegetation. Given the uncertainties inherent in remote sensing methods the results were compared with other similar studies, especially those that included field examinations, and the comparisons were favorable.

2. 2.Connections between natural disasters and population displacement in the context of Solar activity influence

   Milica Langović¹, Vladimir A. Srećković¹, Marko Langović², Zoran Vidović³

   • ¹Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade
   • ²Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade
   • ³Faculty of Education, University of Belgrade
   Abstract

   Natural disasters represent an increasingly significant factor in population mobility patterns, capable of transforming migration directions. Simultaneously, natural disasters and solar activity relation has gained broad recognition in the academic community, with supporting evidence emerging. Using the influence of the sun on geospatial elements as a starting point, this paper examines the connection between natural disasters and population displacement in the context of solar activity. Specifically, the objective is to investigate the relationship between solar activity characteristics and population displacement induced by natural disasters in Southern Europe. The research addresses different population mobility types triggered by wide range of natural hazards to provide a comprehensive analysis. To achieve the research objectives, data were analyzed using various statistical methods in R. The results indicate a close relationship between the observed categories, especially regarding population mobility induced by weather related hazards, primarily during periods of solar maximum. This research provides new insight into issues related to natural disasters and human mobility, contributing to a better understanding of the Sun-Earth system.

3. 3.Spatializing Rural Vulnerability: Flooding, Displacement, and Relocation in the Thessalian Plain

   Fabiano Micocci

   • University of Thessaly
   Abstract

   In recent years, the Mediterranean region has experienced an intensification of extreme weather events, with significant and uneven impacts on human settlements. These phenomena foreground the increasingly conflictual relationship between anthropogenic spatial production and natural ecosystems under conditions of accelerating climate change. The Thessalian Plain in Central Greece constitutes a critical case. The catastrophic flooding of September 2023, which caused widespread damage to settlements, infrastructures, and productive systems, exposed the long-term consequences of agricultural and urban development policies that have systematically disregarded hydrological and ecological processes, thereby amplifying rural vulnerability. This paper examines the case of Metamorfosi Palamas, an agrarian settlement in Central Thessaly that is currently subject to relocation planning in the aftermath of the floods. Situating the case within broader debates on spatialized vulnerability, displacement, and rural precarity, the study investigates both the historical formation and prospective transformation of the settlement. The research draws on four interrelated studies conducted during Design Studio at the Department of Architecture, University of Thessaly. The methodological approach integrates multiple qualitative and quantitative tools: (a) an extensive literature review spanning archaeological records to media discourse on relocation; (b) fieldwork, including site visits and household surveys; (c) interviews and participatory activities with residents, capturing lived experiences of loss, risk, and uncertainty; and (d) multi-layered cartographic analysis combining digital datasets, archival maps, and photographic material. Findings indicate that conventional infrastructural and technocratic responses are increasingly inadequate in mitigating risk. Spatial vulnerability emerges from the intersection of geomorphological conditions, climate-induced hazards, and market-oriented agrarian policies, while social vulnerability is compounded by housing deprivation, economic disruption, and emerging displacement pressures. By foregrounding the entanglement of environmental and socio-spatial processes, the paper contributes to ongoing discussions on energy poverty, housing precarity, and climate-induced displacement, highlighting the need for more context-sensitive and ecologically attuned spatial planning strategies.

4. 4.Green energy infrastructure and Earth heritage conservation : The Akrocheiras wind farm in the Lesvos petrified Forest as a case study

   Nikolaos Zouros¹, Ilias Valiakos², Konstantina Bentana², Stratis Zgournios², Parthenopi Panidou², Nikolaos Grammenopoulos²

   • ¹Aegean University, Department of Geography
   • ²Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest
   Abstract

   The Petrified Forest of Lesvos, located in the western part of Lesvos Island, Greece, is a unique natural monument of international significance formed during the Lower Miocene by intense volcanic activity in the North Eastern Aegean region. The Petrified Forest was declared a "Protected Natural Monument" in 1985, covering an area of 15,000 hectares. The modern history of its protection was shaped significantly in the 1990s, when the installation of the first wind turbines in the Akrocheiras area raised serious concerns regarding the safety of the region's fossils highlighting the absence of implementation of the a legal protection framework at the time. Since the foundation of the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in 1994, its global importance has been consistently reaffirmed.: it became one of the first four Geoparks in 2000, and a key feature of the Lesvos Island UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015. Most recently, it was recognized by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) as one of the first 100 geological heritage sites in the world. During works for the replacement of the old wind turbines remarkable fossil sites with impressive fossilized tree trunks were unearthed. The Museum realized a major geoconservation project monitored the construction work to detect and protect fossils, conducting rescue excavations during the construction, mapping and protecting the newly discovered fossil sites, collecting and conserving the tree trunks , transferring and storing the movable fossils, and protecting and preserving in situ the standing fossil trees. This rescue excavation project, which lasted three years (2018-2021), represents a major paleobotanical excavation in Greece. The main fossil assemblages, the most prominent fallen tree trunks, and the majority of the standing tree trunks were preserved in their original positions.