In September 2024, storm Daniel produced unpredented levels of rainfall in the region of Thessaly, Greece, several areas receiving the equivalent of a year's rainfall, in only a few hours. The result was widespread flooding and large-scale devastation in several rural villages and cities, which claimed 17 lives in Thessaly region in central Greece.
In response to this climate disaster and aiming to strengthen resilience to avert future crises, GWP-Med designed a new project, "Resilient Thessaly", with funding and The Coca-Cola Foundation, to implement a holistic intervention in one of the stricken cities, Trikala. The project's central technical intervention involves the installation of a rainwater drainage pipeline from the Barra area in Trikala, one of the most flood-prone and densely populated areas of the city. This intervention will act as a protective shield against possible future extreme weather events, providing a solution to the chronic flooding problem facing the area.
The new Resilient Thessaly project works will expand the Trikala Municipality's already planned works around improved stormwater management.
The GWP-Med Technical Solutions team with the Trikala Municipality Water Supply and Sewerage Company team visit the planned works site on 28 February 2024.
From the outset, GWP-Med partnered with the Municipality of Trikala and its Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company (DEYAT), in order to design an intervention that would complement and enhance the impact of the city's already planned flood-protection works.
The flood protection project was discussed at a special event held in Trikala on 2 April 2024, in the presence of the Mayor of the city Mr. Nikos Sakkas, the Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaly for Trikala Prefecture, Mrs. Chrysa Deinti, Mr. Christos Blugouras, President of DEYAT, Mr. Nikos Skondras, Senior Project Officer of GWP-Med, Mr. Stavros Mourelatos, General Manager of Coca-Cola Hellas and Mrs. Maria Anargyrou Nikolic, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC. It is the first public-private partnership project announced since the devastating floods that hit Thessaly.
From left to right: Mr. Nikos Skondras, Senior Project Officer of GWP-Med, Mr. Christos Blougouras, President of DEYAT, the Mayor of the city Mr. Nikos Sakkas, Mrs. Chrysa Deinti, Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaly for Trikala Prefecture, Mrs. Maria Anargyrou Nikolic, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC, Trikala Mayor Mr. Nikos Sakkas, Mr. Stavros Mourelatos, General Manager of Coca-Cola Hellas.
The international tender for the award of the stormwater management technical works will be published in April 2024, while the works are expected to be completed by end September 2024.
Within the frame of "Resilient Thessaly" program, GWP-Med will also implement actions to empower local stakeholders, as training activities for school education in Trikala to promote sound management of water resources, and raise awareness towards adopting good practices and adapting to the impacts of the climate crisis.
Mayor Nikos Sakkas stated: "On behalf of all Trikala citizens and especially on behalf of the children - to whom we owe a better tomorrow - I would like to say a big "thank you" to the executives of Coca-Cola Hellas, Coca-Cola HBC, The Coca- Cola Foundation, as well as the international organization Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean for the implementation of this important collaboration. In this way, we complete a large part of the planning that we started to implement immediately after the floods, with specific flood resilience projects in our Municipality. This partnership strengthens our city's infrastructure and prepares us for future extreme weather events. At the same time, we are building an alliance within society itself, benefiting the citizens themselves, which will contribute to the realization of our vision, as we are one of the 100 European cities aiming for climate neutrality by 2030, through the corresponding European Mission."