Our partner South Aegean Region hosted an informative event on Friday, February 27, 2026, at the Regional Council Hall in Rhodes, Greece to present CARDIMED projec. Titled “Fortifying our islands against Climate Change,” the gathering focused on enhancing climate resilience across the Mediterranean by implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The event featured detailed technical presentations from academic and environmental experts:
Vana Manolaki Aggelopoulou, serving as the CARDIMED project supervisor for the South Aegean Region, opened the event with an introductory presentation and acted as the session coordinator. Our coordinator, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) presented, through Prof. Simos Malamis and Taxiarchis Seintos, the activities of the Sanitary Engineering Laboratory, the broader scope of the CARDIMED research and an overview of the CARDIMED research framework and its DEMO sites. A detailed presentation of the two DEMO systems in the South Aegean Region followed. Other of our partners, MedINA, through Kostas Petrakos, presented in detail the DEMO in Sifnos, which focuses on reviving traditional knowledge by restoring “Stone Terraces” (dry stone walls) in seasonal streams to manage water and protect soil. In the same manner, Marine Conservation Greece, through Antonis Eleftheriou presented the DEMO in Mykonos, involving the installation of decentralized rainwater management systems to prevent flooding and promote water reuse.
An open discussion involving local government representatives, environmental organizations, and the academic community was held to conclude the session, highlighting the South Aegean’s role as a field of innovation for climate adaptation.
