As part of the Erasmus+ project “Guardians of the Coasts”, FOTOESSA and the Portuguese partners Rita Sousa from Aequalitas and Rafaela Fortunato and Beatriz Pereira from Impact Trip held a meeting with Iasonas Markantonis PhD, climatology specialist, researcher and environmental activist focusing on climate crisis issues.

The discussion focused on the environmental and social challenges currently affecting coastal areas in Greece and Portugal, the impacts of overdevelopment and uncontrolled tourism growth, as well as restrictions on free access to coastlines.

Through scientific approaches and personal experiences, the meeting highlighted the need to strengthen environmental awareness and citizens’ participation in protecting natural environments and public spaces.

Special emphasis was placed on participatory education and youth engagement. As highlighted during the discussion:
“If you let people participate actively and not just sit through a boring presentation, they become engaged and want to take action.”

At the same time, while discussing the consequences of human intervention on the environment, a symbolic statement captured the spirit of the meeting:
“Nature remembers. Water remembers.”

The “Guardians of the Coasts” project promotes the exchange of experiences and good practices between Greece and Portugal regarding coastal protection, environmental awareness and active citizenship.

Our beaches:
A common good.
A shared responsibility.
A common future.

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them”.