As part of the European Erasmus+ project “Guardians of the Coasts”, Fotoessa and the Portuguese partners Rita Sousa from Aequalitas and Rafaela Fortunato and Beatriz Pereira from Impactrip met Dr Iasonas Markantonis, a climatologist, researcher and activist on the environment and the climate crisis.
The discussion focused on the environmental and social challenges facing the coastal areas of Greece and Portugal today, the impact of overdevelopment and unchecked tourism development, and the issues surrounding restrictions on free access to the coast.
Through scientific approaches as well as first-hand accounts, the discussion highlighted the need to strengthen environmental awareness and citizen participation in the processes that protect the natural environment and public space.
Particular mention was made of the importance of education in participation and of the active involvement of young people. As was aptly put:
“If you let people take an active part, rather than just sit through a boring presentation, then they really get involved and want to act.” At the same time, in the discussion about the devastating effects of human interventions on the environment, it was stressed in a particularly symbolic way that: “Nature remembers. Water remembers.”
The “Guardians of the Coasts” project promotes the exchange of experiences and good practices between Greece and Portugal on coastal protection, environmental awareness and active citizenship.
Our beaches:
A common good.
A shared responsibility.
A common future. “Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”
