On 25 June 2026, the Wetland4Change project led by Greek project partner the Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (EKBY) of the Goulandris Natural History Museum brought together 30 representatives from 14 organisations at the Lithotopos Ecotourism Promotion Centre, in the Municipality of Irakleia, for its 3rd stakeholder information event on the Greek pilot site.
Authorities, farmers, ecotourism operators and local residents joined the Mayor of Irakleia, Kleanthis Kotsakiachidis, and the President of the Municipal Council, Zoe Marigkou, alongside regional water and civil protection services, the Forest Service, and local agricultural and tourism associations, a cross-section of everyone with a stake in the Strymon River Basin’s future.
What the science shows
Our partner EKBY, presented the two years of research we have achieved with a clear message: wetlands are doing flood-protection work that current planning tools don’t fully capture.
Across the basin’s Areas of Potentially Significant Flood Risk, EKBY mapped roughly 172 km² of wetlands and found their capacity to absorb, store and regulate excess water is predominantly high, a role largely missing from official Flood Risk Management Plans under the EU Floods Directive. That’s a strong scientific case for prioritising wetland protection, restoration and reconnection alongside conventional flood defences.
At Lake Kerkini, EKBY’s pilot site for carbon research, the picture is more nuanced: some habitats act as carbon sinks, others as emission sources, depending on water depth and management. The key finding – managing the lake’s water levels to meet ecological needs also helps maintain its carbon balance- makes the case that good water management is a climate strategy in itself.
Wetland4Change third local meeting in Greece
Turning findings into action
The event’s real value was in the room: researchers, regulators and land users testing these findings against what actually happens on the ground. Participants agreed on the need to feed the results into flood risk plans, the Common Agricultural Policy, and local wetland initiatives, moving wetlands from a footnote in climate planning to a central tool.
It’s this kind of dialogue, repeated across the project’s pilot sites, that builds the foundation for lasting protection of the Strymon River Basin and Lake Kerkini, and for putting their ecosystem services to work for a more climate-resilient region.
Wetland4Change third local meeting 3 in Greece
