Thessaloniki has the smallest percentage of green space per capita among all European cities. The Seich Sou, the city’s only suburban forest and sole green lung, is extremely important for its contribution to improving the quality of life of the residents and protecting the city itself. Initially created as an artificial forest to prevent soil erosion and reduce urban flooding, it plays a significant role in improving air quality, regulating water cycles, maintaining biodiversity, and offering recreational opportunities for a city overwhelmed by concrete.
However, the Seich Sou is under constant threat, made vulnerable by human intervention and neglect. A few years ago, in the summer of 2019, bark beetles devastated over 3,500 trees, with removal efforts proving insufficient to halt the three-year-long period of destruction. The environmental damage was considered the worst setback since a massive fire in 1997 burned 15,000 hectares.
Today, due to climate change and prolonged droughts, protecting the Seich Sou from fires is a pressing issue, yet discussions around fire prevention typically emerge only right before fire season.
This year, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, during an extensive meeting of the new Local Operational Coordination Body for Civil Protection (TESOPP) on May 9, 2024, on the occasion of the start of the new fire protection season, acknowledged that “the suburban forest of Thessaloniki is the primary target we must protect.” At the same time, it highlighted the importance of establishing this new coordination body in light of the unpredictable conditions arising from climate change.
“Enacting legislation that speaks of the decentralization of responsibilities without being accompanied by resources – not only for equipment but also for human personnel – clearly will not yield the desired results,” stated Mayor Stelios Aggeloudis at the time. In his opinion, “where we should place more emphasis, coordinated by the Fire Service of course, is on how we can connect voluntary participation with organized state intervention.”
In addition to the frequent patrols of municipal vehicles, meteorologist and appointed advisor to the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Sakis Arnaoutoglou, announced the installation of meteorological stations around the city, as well as radar systems to detect the direction of storms, which often cause fires. From her perspective, Thessaloniki’s Forestry Director, Filothei Mela, emphasized that a careful fire protection plan has been developed for the Seich Sou forest, including firebreaks, water tanks, and patrols. Nevertheless, as she observed, while the forest protection program is “ongoing,” the Forestry Service of Thessaloniki is facing reduced staffing levels, even as it is burdened with additional responsibilities.
Speaking to Alterthess about the understaffing of the Forestry Service, Ms. Mela noted that three years ago (2021), there were 10 foresters at the Forestry Service, whereas today there are only 4, due to staff retiring without being replaced by new hires. She also raised the issue of the lack of younger personnel capable of handling the demanding conditions required for forestry work.
A month later, in June 2024, during a meeting organized by Kostas Gioulekas, the Deputy Minister of the Interior for Macedonia-Thrace, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, described this year as the most challenging fire protection season in recent years. He also spoke about the country’s equipment with aerial resources, new technologies, and drones, and referenced the AntiNero program, which, as he explained, supports the creation of forest roads and fire protection zones.
The issues concerning forest fire protection and, consequently, Thessaloniki’s resilience to wildfire phenomena revolve around two main axes: firstly, the ecological management of forests, in this case, the suburban Seich Sou forest; and secondly, the personnel tasked with handling all these matters. Furthermore, a fundamental question about who bears what responsibilities is constantly raised in discussions due to the ineffective management of recent years. Despite wildfires burning thousands of hectares of forests across the country, fire suppression responsibilities remain with the Fire Service, which, according to many foresters, lacks both the knowledge and technical capabilities required. At the same time, interest in fire prevention appears to be minimal to nonexistent compared to the focus on suppression. This is evident from the funds allocated and the priorities set at the beginning of each fire season.
Alexandros Dimitrakopoulos, a professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Environment at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), while speaking1 to Alterthess, agreed, saying that “the transfer of responsibilities for forest fire suppression from the Forestry Service to the Fire Service in 1998 proved to be unsuccessful.” According to Dimitrakopoulos, this conclusion is hard to dispute when one looks at the statistics on forest fires. “That is, both the number of fires and, more importantly, the annual burned areas, not only did not decrease but, on the contrary, increased. Therefore, the shift in responsibilities brought no substantial results in addressing forest fires.”
Dimitrakopoulos believes that there is a clear imbalance in the allocation of resources between prevention and suppression. “The government has decided to heavily reinforce suppression, spending large sums on purchasing expensive forest firefighting equipment and hiring personnel for fire suppression, yet with no results. This may be due to several reasons. The first and most obvious is that the equipment and fire protection plans used in firefighting operations are not effective. Simply put, we are not putting out the fires properly.”
The second reason, which is strongly supported among foresters and forest technicians, is that a fire is better dealt with in a forest that has been previously managed, so that the fire does not burn intensely and is not difficult to combat. This argument is understandable, but it remains to be proven and is much harder to implement by a service (the Forestry Service) that has been stripped of its personnel. It has been significantly reduced in size and now plays a very limited role compared to the one it used to have in terms of forest management and cultivation. This, of course, is due to political decisions that have resulted in the reduction of forestry personnel currently working in Greece at all levels, in both scientific and non-scientific roles.”
Listen to the podcast with Al. Dimitrakopoulos: “Seich Sou as a Measure and Precondition of the Resilience of Thessaloniki”
Speaking about the issue of forest protection, we reached out to Michalis Tremopoulos, head of the municipal group Ecology-Solidarity. He identifies significant inaction regarding the protection of the Seich Sou by all three municipalities surrounding it. “The responsible municipalities (Thessaloniki, Neapoli-Sykies, Pylaia-Chortiatis) remain inactive, using the excuse that the forest protection funds they receive are meager, while failing to take any initiative to demand more,” he stated, pointing out that Ecology-Solidarity has publicly raised questions about the budget municipalities receive for fire protection, the fire prevention measures they implement for the Seich Sou, the available personnel involved, the initiatives they plan to propose to the central administration, the forms of collaboration they have developed with the Forestry Service, and the chaotic division of responsibilities regarding the Seich Sou.
The group argues that it is crucial to establish a clear fire protection program and update it across all three neighboring municipalities, as conditions have drastically changed due to the worsening climate crisis.
Regarding the consultation with city stakeholders for the presentation of the Local Coordination Body for Civil Protection (TESOPP), Tremopoulos believes that the discussion focused on addressing symptoms rather than causes. “We call for support of civil society, the volunteer groups active in the forest, and environmental organizations, while sidelining undemocratic practices at both the local and central levels and promoting democratic participation of citizens,” he reported.
AntiNero, a Controversial Forest Protection Program
Aiming to prevent large-scale fires this year, the government, in collaboration with the agencies and bodies under its control, announced the AntiNero III program (the third phase of its implementation, funded by the Recovery Fund) and proceeded with contractor consortia to cut down trees in forests, forested areas, water channels, and military zones across the country. While AntiNero is promoted as the most effective tool for forest fire prevention, naysayers accuse the government of ecological degradation and destruction of forests, while also highlighting the ineffectiveness of such measures in preventing forest fires.
Specifically for Thessaloniki, where the Zervas mayoral administration had recently authorized the removal of thousands of trees, the measures included in the AntiNero program seem to undermine the goal of maintaining a minimum percentage of green spaces in the city.
As highlighted by expert scientists during a related event organized by the Chamber of Environment and Sustainability, specifically by Sofia Pavlaki, lawyer and member of the Scientific Council of the Chamber, the program leads to ecological degradation and the destruction of forest ecosystems, without proving capable of preventing even the very forest fires it ambitiously aims to address. It was further noted that the program should be subjected to a stricter framework of environmental scrutiny and evaluation, through the application of the environmental assessment procedures stipulated by Directive 42/2001 and Joint Ministerial Decision 107017/2006 (FEK B’ 1225). These regulations apply to all programs with significant environmental impacts that affect the entirety of the country’s forested areas, are co-funded by the European Union, and require approval by a designated public authority. According to the Chamber, the implementation of AntiNero cannot rely solely on a simple forest management study approved by local Forestry Offices, which is typically sufficient for small-scale forestry projects or routine forest maintenance activities. Instead, a more rigorous Strategic Environmental Assessment process is necessary, along with a prior determination of the appropriate evaluation of conservation objectives, particularly if AntiNero is to be applied to forests that are also designated as protected habitats.
“Trees have become the new enemy of the state because the government is unable to manage the climate crisis and exacerbates the damage through anti-forest and other policies,” notes M. Tremopoulos on the issue. He cites the example of the Dadia forest fire in 2023, where there were 350 kilometers of firebreaks and many kilometers of forest roads, yet the destruction was immense.
Furthermore, measures such as water channel alignment and cleaning – rather than respecting and planting trees in the watershed – amplify the force of the water and its destructive consequences, in Tremopoulos’ opinion. “Climate collapse is changing the nature of wildfires and the conditions under which they occur (drought, heatwaves, etc.), increasing their intensity and duration. The country needs a new strategy that encourages ecological forest management, the development of professions that contribute to forest protection, staffing of the Forestry Service, and abandoning the doctrine of ‘protecting people and buildings while letting fires spread into forests’”.
According to M. Tremopoulos, the strategic goal must be the preservation of biodiversity, ensuring forest regeneration, cultivating water sources, reforestation for flood protection, constructing and maintaining watchtowers, refueling reservoirs for firefighting vehicles, and developing specialized plans, among other measures.
The Forest is a Complete Ecosystem, Not a Park
Beyond the contributions of forestry experts, the voice of grassroots movements and associations has been crucial in protecting the Seich Sou, as they have provided significant support through their active presence and initiatives over the years. One such association is the Thessaloniki Health Runners’ Club (THRC), which has mobilized numerous times for this cause. Speaking to Alterthess2, Dimitris Lamprinidis, president of THRC, shared:
“Over the years, we’ve organized cleanup activities in the Seich Sou – a beautiful yet neglected space – working in collaboration with civil protection agencies, volunteers, students, young people from KETHEA, and engaged citizens. For us, running in the forest is an escape, a form of exploration, and a way to discover new and old trails.” Through their philanthropic race SYZATHLO and other activities, they bring new visitors to the forest, both young and old, helping them develop a love and a sense of responsibility for its protection.
Lamprinidis describes a forest that has endured numerous challenges, including encroachments and violations from developers. In the past, small fires broke out but were fortunately extinguished in time. “We face a lot of trash and debris because there are many uncontrolled access points to the forest. We also have enduro motorcycles, which damage and often destroy the trails. And let’s not forget the bark beetle infestation that destroyed tens of thousands of trees over 3–4 years. It wasn’t managed properly in its early stages, resulting in significant forest damage. Thankfully, the forest is now recovering.”
Mr. Lamprinidis, reflecting on his extensive runs through the forest, observes that “The AntiNero program has destroyed a large part of the forest. Vast areas have been cleared, healthy trees have been cut down, and the destruction continues to this day. What we now face is a deforested landscape, an unrecognizable Seich Sou, and now this is being compounded by the damage caused by the FlyOver project.”
Listen to the podcast with D. Lamprinidis “Seich Sou Health as a Road of Endurance”
The Ministry of Environment initiated this program as a pilot in 2022, starting in Thessaloniki by cutting down trees around the perimeter of the Seich Sou. Local associations and residents protested, claiming that these were healthy trees. “This sparked protests from residents because the forest was reduced. Alongside The Committee for the Protection of the Seich Sou, we filed an appeal with the state council,” Lamprinidis explains. At the time, the project focused on clearing the forest’s perimeter, while last summer, clearing activities were extended into the forest.
A fundamental issue arising from the implementation of AntiNero, as the runner points out, is that for years the responsible authorities have treated the Seich Sou as a park rather than as a complete ecosystem. While the Thessaloniki Forestry Office asserts that it is implementing the program for a third year and that forest management rules are being carefully followed, Lamprinidis views this approach as fundamentally flawed. “It’s a mindset that leads to exploiting the forest rather than encouraging residents to connect with it, to discover their natural environment, and to learn how to protect it,” he concludes.
Research and editing: Jason Bantios, Stavroula Poulimeni, Tilemachos Fassoulas
Up next: Air Pollution in Thessaloniki: A Problem in Need of Solutions, Not Just More Measurements
The research of the independent media cooperative Alterthess titled “Urbal Resilience, Climate Neutrality: The case of Thessaloniki” was realised with the support of Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung-Office in Greece. Read the complete research here.
