Nikos Mamassis

Decarbonization has been set as the ultimate target of the European energy policy, and, under this frame, Greece has substantially reformed its electricity mix over the last two decades. Yet, the rapid transition of the country’s electricity production system towards a model that strongly relies on non-controllable renewables, without improving its energy storage means, has caused several adverse impacts that reasonably raise serious concerns about its sustainability. Further questions arise when accounting for the projections and underlying assumptions reported in the National Energy and Climate Plan. In this vein, key policy, societal, technical, sustainability and science issues are discussed, involving the challenges, perspectives and potential drawbacks of Greece’s long-term energy planning. To reveal the critical role of storage, a toy simulation-optimization model is applied at the national scale to evaluate several scenarios of wind and solar P/V development under the premise of a theoretically fully decarbonized mix. This allows the exploration of trade-offs between energy storage and power capacity needs against key performance metrics (frequency and quantity of deficits and percentage of rejected renewable energy). Preliminary feasibility issues are also highlighted by considering alternative configurations of pumped hydropower storage units and associating their approximative investment costs with scale and geometry.

Mediterranean regions like West Mani, Greece, face escalating water scarcity exacerbated by climate variability and seasonal tourism peaks, straining the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus. Olive cultivation, central to the region’s economy and culture, generates substantial underutilized biomass residues that increase wildfire risk if left unmanaged. At the same time, water supply increasingly relies on energy-intensive desalination and pumping. This study addresses the gap in integrated, place-based WEF nexus applications by quantifying the potential of local olive biomass (pruning, grasses, and pits) to power desalination and water distribution. Using remote sensing for olive grove mapping, field data validation, village-level water demand modelling (including tourism scenarios), and energy system analysis, we assessed biomass availability and conversion feasibility. Results show that approximately 2,900-3,800 tonnes of recoverable dry biomass per year can generate 2.8-3.6 GWh of electricity annually, sufficient to fully cover the required energy for multi-site desalination (brackish and seawater reverse osmosis) and elevation-specific pumping under high-demand tourism conditions. This novel contribution lies in closing the resource loop through a replicable, community-scale framework that simultaneously achieves energy autonomy for water security, reduces wildfire risk via managed pruning (creating firebreaks), and enables ash reuse as soil amendments, offering a practical model for other tourism-dependent Mediterranean areas seeking resilient, synergistic resource management.

The assessment of human progress often relies on factors such as the availability of energy and resources, the improvement of life expectancy, education, equality, democracy, justice, civilization, and other crucial elements. A significant concern within this evaluation revolves around the inclusivity and accessibility of technological advancements. However, human progress is more than that, since it can also manifest itself in the scientific and technical advances in treating natural hazards presenting a diachronic issue to societies’ resilience. In this study, the progress of engineering in analyzing and managing flood risk between the 1970s and present times is evaluated. To this aim, we utilize the experience of engineers who completed surveying, hydrological, and hydraulic studies for flood risk assessment in the 1970s, to carry out comparisons with recent methodologies applied in the framework of the Programming Agreement between the Prefecture of Attica and the Operational Unit BEYOND Centre of EO Research and Satellite Remote Sensing of the Institute of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications & Remote Sensing (IAASARS) of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), in cooperation with the Research Group ITIA of the Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering of the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) to the Pikrodafni stream, in Attica, Greece. Specifically, we quantify the progress made and differences between the two periods, in terms of human resources, computational cost, and accuracy of practices and methodologies.

As cities have expanded into floodplains, the need for their protection has become crucial, prompting the evolution of flood studies. Here, we describe the operational tools, methods and processes used in flood risk engineering studies in the 1970s, and we evaluate the technological progress up to the present day. To this aim, we reference relevant regulations and legislation and the recorded experiences of engineers who performed hydrological, surveying and hydraulic studies in the 1970s. These are compared with the operational framework of a contemporary flood risk assessment study conducted in the Pikrodafni basin in the Attica region. We conclude that, without the technologically advanced tools available today, achieving the level of detail and accuracy in flood mapping that is now possible would have been unfeasible, even with significant human resources. However, ongoing urban development and growth continue to encroach upon flood plains that have existed for centuries, contributing to increased flood risk.

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This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a wildfire on vegetation recovery and hydrological processes in a Mediterranean peri-urban system, using remote sensing and hydrological modeling. NDVI and MSAVI₂ time series extracted from burned areas, control plots, and VAR-modeled plots were used to analyze vegetation regeneration. The SWAT model, calibrated for pre-fire conditions due to data limitations, was used to evaluate subbasin-scale hydrological impacts. Results showed limited recovery in the first post-fire year, with vegetation indices remaining lower in burned areas compared to control plots. High- and moderate-burn-severity areas presented the most significant NDVI and MSAVI₂ increases. The SWAT model showed increased water yield, percolation, and surface runoff with reduced evapotranspiration in post-fire conditions. Peak discharges were notably higher during wet periods. Modified land use and soil properties affected the catchment’s hydrological balance, emphasizing the complexities of post-fire catchment dynamics.

The modern globalized civilization is sustained by interactions, trade, the transportation of goods, and energy. Energy self-sufficiency is crucial in rural and disaster-prone areas like North Euboea because dependence on external energy supplies can leave regions vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, price volatility, and geopolitical risks. In such isolated regions, energy independence ensures resilience in natural disasters and economic instability. The alternative to self-sufficiency often involves reliance on centralized energy systems, fossil fuels, or external imports, which may not always be reliable or sustainable. Therefore, in this study, we explore the possibility of an area having energy self-sufficiency. As a case study, we chose North Euboea in Greece, explicitly focusing on the Municipality of Mantoudi-Limni-Agia Anna. The analysis combines local land use patterns, energy needs for inhabitants, agriculture and water requirements. It is followed by exploring various renewable energy sources, including hydropower, biomass, solar, and wind. We considered the stochastic nature of renewable energy production and the challenges associated with energy storage. The findings suggest that while wind turbines and solar panels could be installed in the area and contribute significantly to energy needs, achieving complete self-sufficiency requires careful planning, particularly regarding energy storage and the social acceptance of these installations. The results highlight the need for a holistic approach that integrates environmental, landscape, societal, and technical considerations in designing and implementing renewable energy systems. Additionally, it is highlighted that the available renewable energy from forest biomass (before the 2021 megafire event) could reliably and adequately meet the area's energy needs without requiring investments in photovoltaic parks and wind turbines and without competing with the use of agricultural land.

Storm Daniel initiated on 3 September 2023, over the Northeastern Aegean Sea, causing extreme rainfall levels for the following four days, reaching an average of about 360 mm over the Peneus basin, in Thessaly, Central Greece. This event led to extensive floods, with 17 human lives lost and devastating environmental and economic impacts. The automatic water-monitoring network of the HIMIOFoTS National Research Infrastructure captured the evolution of the phenomenon and the relevant hydrometeorological (rainfall, water stage, and discharge) measurements were used to analyse the event’s characteristics. The results indicate that the average rainfall’s return period was up to 150 years, the peak flow close to the river mouth reached approximately 1950 m³/s, and the outflow volume of water to the sea was 1670 hm³. The analysis of the observed hydrographs across Peneus also provided useful lessons from the flood-engineering perspective regarding key modelling assumptions and the role of upstream retentions. Therefore, extending and supporting the operation of the HIMIOFoTS infrastructure is crucial to assist responsible authorities and local communities in reducing potential damages and increasing the socioeconomic resilience to natural disasters, as well as to improve the existing knowledge with respect to extreme flood-simulation approaches.