Location
Crete Region, Greece. 

Location
Crete Region, Greece. 

Local Context
Crete is the southernmost island of Greece and the 5th largest in the Mediterranean. It is largely mountainous, with a range running from west to east, and boasts over 1,000 kilometers of coastline. The island is home to approximately 610,000 inhabitants and welcomes around 3 million visitors annually. Crete faces significant environmental challenges due to modern habitation development, tourism, energy projects, and illegal quarrying, all of which put pressure on its biodiversity. One of the lesser-known environmental issues is land clearing, which affects both public and private lands. The forest character of these lands is often disputed, coastlines are altered, road construction frequently occurs without permission, and forests are being replaced by farmland, with little compliance and environmental remediation. 

Planned Actions
This case study addresses several key challenges, including insufficient communication in the prosecution chain, non-compliance with environmental regulations, unawareness of land use rules, lack of internal audits, and inadequate monitoring equipment. To tackle these issues, the existing measures already involve a smartphone application, an environmental crime database, communication between courts and administrative authorities, and technical guides for citizens and administrative clerks. The goal is to enhance awareness and environmental protection through these tools. 

Expected Impacts
The project aims to promote scientific-based environmental monitoring at a regional level, raise awareness and empower citizens regarding the enforceability of environmental legislation, and enhance the practical use of technology and regulations to prevent soil degradation and habitat deterioration. The scientific results and regulatory tools developed in this case study are expected to be replicable in other European regions facing similar challenges. The project aims to engage at least 500 stakeholders in Crete and 1,500 members of target audiences, with the goal of raising awareness of available environmental compliance tools. Additionally, at least three land-clearing cases are to be investigated and registered in the project’s database. 

Partners Involved 

• HBA 

• IIASA