The Greek GEO Office (GGO) participated in the 2nd TMM_CH International Conference on "Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modelling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage: Rebranding the World in Crisis through Culture", that was held at the Eugenides Foundation in Athens, Greece.
Dr. Evangelos Gerasopoulos, Director of thr GGO and Research Director at the National Observatory of Athens, was invited during the first day of the Conference to contribute to the panel discussion on “Resilience to Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Pandemic Risks – Biosafety”.
Dr. Gerasopoulos presented the UN Flexible Mechanism for the protection of cultural and natural heritage from climate change impacts, highlighting the important role that it could play in accelerating the implementation of actions and cooperation schemes, bridging scientific knowledge and climate mitigation and adaptation tools with informed decision making and enhancing the relevant research.
He also introduced to the audience the GEO Initiative Urban Heritage Climate Observatory, which could serve as the forum for relevant partners to share good practices, needs and expertise; match user needs to earth observation assets to enrich and coordinate processes for the preservation, monitoring, management of urban heritage, as well as communication and advocacy around local, national and international Climate Action; and enable a modernization of practices through co-producing targeted tools and services focusing on climate change risks and impacts to urban heritage.
Last but not least, he informed the panel and the audience about several ongoing Earth observation initiatives that could actually significantly contribute towards achieving resilience to climate change, protecting from natural hazards and promoting biosafety. Dr. Gerasopoulos concluded that now is the time to confront with climate change and that this can be favored and facilitated under the framework of existing international policies, like the New Urban Agenda, the Green Deal, the New Bauhaus, to preserve our World Heritage.
