A new scientific study examines the reasons why Greece’s system of protected areas continues to face serious challenges, despite repeated institutional reforms and improved administrative coordination in recent years.
The study’s central conclusion is that these challenges are not exclusively related to the legal framework or the availability of resources. Rather, they are primarily linked to the quality of governance, and in particular to the degree of participation, transparency, accountability, and equity in decision-making and implementation.
The research shows that institutional changes in the management system of protected areas have contributed to improved administrative coherence, but have not adequately addressed critical deficits in social legitimacy and justice—elements that are essential for the effective protection of biodiversity.
The findings are especially timely in the current context, as Greece is required to implement national, European, and international biodiversity targets for 2030. The effectiveness of governance in protected areas is expected to play a decisive role in determining whether these targets are achieved in practice.
The study is based on the doctoral research of Dimitra Syrou, Nature Policy Associate at The Green Tank, conducted under the supervision of Iosif Botetzagias, Professor at the University of the Aegean, and updated with more recent data by The Green Tank’s Nature Policy Team, which includes Ioli Christopoulou and the lead author. It is an independent scientific publication in an international peer-reviewed journal.
Read the full publication in the journal Land, titled “Understanding the (In)Governability of Environmental Protected Areas: The Case of Greece” (open access), here.
