On 10-11 June 2014 the Greek EU Presidency 2014 under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (ESRT) organized the International Conference “Adaptation Strategies to Global Environmental Change in the Mediterranean City and the Role of Global Earth Observations”. The European Commission, Eurisy, the Mediterranean City Climate Change Consortium (MC-4), the Mariolopoulos – Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences, the Research Center for Climatology and Atmospheric Physics, Academy of Athens and the Justus – Liebig University of Geissen, Germany are also co-hosting the event. The Conference explored the Group on Earth Observations GEO’S contribution to improving climate information and its role in developing and implementing adaptation measures at national and local level. The results of the Conference will further strengthen the cooperation at European and global level will contribute to increasing the communities awareness and will make proposals for creating adaptation action plan to mitigate anthropogenic climate change, based on resources development and on specific tools, tailored to the needs of cities with Mediterranean climate.
The interrelated topics that were addressed combined with best practice case studies in support of policy, were Global and Regional Earth Observations, Water, Energy, Biodiversity and Open Space, Coastal Areas and Marine Environment, Public Health and Governance.
The Conference brought together representatives of the Greek government and of the European Union, representatives of global organizations as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – IPCC, World Meteorological Organization-WMO, the World Health Organization-WHO, GEO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-ECDC and scientists from 17 countries.
The website of the conference can be found here.
From left to right: Mr W. Teubner, ICLEI European Secretariat, Dr J. Semenza, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Sweden, prof. C. Zerefos, Academician, President of MKF, Dr J. Sahl, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, USA, Dr D. Terblanche, Director of Atmospheric Research and Environment of World Meteorological Organization and prof. Μ. Tsimplis, School of Law and National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, UK.
Panoramic view of the central auditorium. At the front row the President of MKF, prof. C. Zerefos, Academician, the General Secretariat for Research and Technology Dr. C. Vasilakos and prof. E. Xoplaki, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Germany.
The board of directors of the MKF during the Gala dinner. In the middle the President of MKF prof. C. Zerefos, Academician, the Vise President (left) Mr K. Liatsos, Mrs Tritaki, Mrs Christopoulos, the member of the board of directors N. Christopoulos, the member of the board of directors prof. A. Karamanos, the member of the board of directors Mr V. Tritakis, the Treasurer Mr G. Mariolopoulos and Mrs M. Mariolopoulos.