It has been established that climate change will have a major impact on the conditions of growth and development of Europe’s forests. Climate change is very likely to increase the duration of the forest fire season, with prolonged periods of drought and increased temperatures, and may also expand the areas that are at risk of burning. Extreme conditions have increased in many areas and, therefore, the probability of major fires is very high. The handling of forest fires under these conditions has become very difficult, and this is why it is advisable to invest more in prevention than suppression, for better results at a comparatively minimal cost.
Furthermore, the necessity of implementing the project lies in the fact that forests provide a number of protective and public benefit functions, which include preserving water quality, preventing soil erosion, preventing floods, preserving biodiversity, etc. The country’s unique landscape and the intensifying climate crisis mean that forests and the ecosystem services they provide are a protective shield for society as a whole, and therefore protecting these ecosystems is necessary for the prosperity of current and future generations, promoting employment in disadvantaged areas. Consequently, preventing forest fires and reducing their impact ensures the continuous, stable, and balanced production of goods, services, and beneficial impacts of forest ecosystems on society as a whole, and enhances their ability to provide benefits that are necessary for sustainable development and the national economy.
In this context, and for the first time in our country's history, extensive preventive clearing was carried out in a coordinated manner, and decades-worth of accumulated biomass fuel was removed from critically important forest ecosystems that were at risk. The ‘Antinero I’ and ‘Antinero II’ projects were funded by the EU – NextGenerationEu (Recovery and Resilience Fund) under measure ID 16849, which is included in the ‘Greece 2.0’ National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the Recovery Pillar: ‘1 – GREEN TRANSITION’, of the Axis: ‘1.4 – Sustainable use of resources, resilience to climate change, and conservation of biodiversity’, with funding amounting to €50 million and approximately €87 million respectively, including VAT. The extension of Antinero I was implemented with funding of €22 million including VAT from the Ordinary Budget.
Pursuant to decision No 2679/27.12.2021 of the Government Committee of the Project Preparation Facility (minutes of the meeting of 08.11.2021), HRADF was delegated the powers of maturity, of conducting the tender procedures, and of monitoring the performance of the contract for the implementation of the project titled Antinero I, the Beneficiary of which was the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, while pursuant to decision No 359/22.02.2023 of the Government Committee of the Project Preparation Facility, HRADF was also assigned responsibility for implementation of Antinero II, with the Ministry of Environment and Energy as Beneficiary.
HRADF implemented the procedures provided for under the Management and Control System (MCS) of the Recovery and Resilience Fund throughout the duration of the project, in order to ensure sound fiscal management of Recovery and Resilience Fund resources, an adequate audit trail, effective implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and expectedness and common understanding of the methods used. Forestry activities were supervised by the local forestry authorities.
Regarding the design of Antinero I, there was a scientifically documented grouping of forest areas to be cleaned based on climate and other conditions, and the projects were assigned through the publication of a total of 13 requests for tender that led to 31 contracts between the Ministry of Environment and Energy and contractors.
Regarding the design of Antinero II, in which a similar grouping methodology was followed, projects were assigned via the publication of a total of 17 requests for tender that led to 47 contracts between Ministry of the Environment and Energy and contractors.
It is worth noting that the Technical Bulletin of the above two projects submitted to EYSTA (Special Recovery Fund Coordination Service) included a provision for the promotion of the collection and utilisation of biomass (forest debris) in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner. This took place in coordination with all stakeholders, and free distribution of the biomass to the residents in the areas of forestry projects was achieved.
Finally, at the initiative of HRADF, a specialised advisor was appointed and an assessment was prepared of the social-economic terms of the environmental benefit arising from forestry projects for Greece, the social benefit arising from the utilisation of biomass, and the cost and benefit resulting from more rational management of the biomass produced. The research focuses on the value of forests as commodities, an issue that has not been explored sufficiently in the past in Greece and, consequently, has important elements of innovation.
