Rising summer temperatures are turning areas of Greece into wildfire hotspots. The Foundation’s project is deploying high-tech fire detection systems to help identify wildfire threats in forests around the Greek city of Xanthi – before they rage out of control.
Summer 2023 saw forest fires devastate 90,000 hectares of Dadia forest in the Greek province of Thrace, also threatening the nearby city of Xanthi.
With implementing partner Space Hellas SA, the focus of this project is the expansion of electronic early-warning and monitoring systems in fire-prone forests. These AI-supported systems – sensors, cameras and special software – will enable the earlier detection of potential future forest fires and improve tracking of their spread.
Additionally, the project includes investments in replenishing the municipal fire brigade’s critical equipment, which was severely damaged during the 2023 fires, and the construction of water-storage tanks within the forest, closer to potential wildfire outbreak locations.
This new infrastructure aims to reduce the risks of future catastrophic forest fires, protecting both the city of Xanthi and the vital ecosystem of the nearby forests.
25 years of investment in disaster management
Countries where we have supported our partners’ work in response to a growing range of threats to life and livelihood
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