Earth Science News
SHAKE AND BLOW
Greece floods reconstruction to cost over 3 bn euros: PM
Greece floods reconstruction to cost over 3 bn euros: PM
by AFP Staff Writers
Athens (AFP) April 23, 2024

The cost of rebuilding in Greece after last year's destructive floods, which killed 17 people and destroyed essential infrastructure, will exceed three billion euros ($3.2 billion), the prime minister said Tuesday.

In September, Storm Daniel, a Mediterranean cyclone of unprecedented intensity, unleashed months' worth of rain in just hours on Thessaly, Greece's most fertile plain.

Another storm, Storm Elias, followed just weeks later.

Combined the two storms triggered what Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis later called the worst floods in Greek history.

"The overall rehabilitation of the damage caused by Daniel and Elias will exceed three billion euros," Mitsotakis said during Tuesday's visit to Thessaly.

Just repairing the area's roads, rail network and schools will cost 1.4 billion euros, he added.

"The road network will be rebuilt better than before," Mitsotakis vowed, adding that the repaired rail network will be delivered by the end of 2025.

The deluge destroyed roads and bridges and drowned tens of thousands of farm animals.

Some of the plans under consideration have drawn criticism from environmental groups, especially the proposals made by HVA, a Dutch company advising the Greek government.

Greenpeace, WWF, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature and the Hellenic Ornithological Society last week said the main focus was an "old-school" dam construction instead of eco-friendly river management, favoured by the EU.

The groups on Thursday criticised proposals to dredge rivers, arguing that removing obstacles helps floodwaters flow even faster.

There are also fears that the reconstruction will revive decades-old plans to divert the Achelous River in western Greece, a project repeatedly struck down by the country's top administrative court.

In a statement sent to AFP, HVA insisted that its approach was science-based.

The company noted that nature-based solutions have been examined under several EU initiatives, but there is "insufficient knowledge" as to whether they apply to projects of the size required in Thessaly.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SHAKE AND BLOW
Highest-level rainstorm warning issued in south China's Guangdong
Beijing (AFP) April 23, 2024
More than 100,000 people have been evacuated due to heavy rain and fatal floods in southern China, with the government issuing its highest-level rainstorm warning for the affected area on Tuesday. Torrential rains have lashed Guangdong in recent days, swelling rivers and raising fears of severe flooding that state media said could be of the sort only "seen around once a century". On Tuesday, the megacity of Shenzhen was among the areas listed as experiencing "heavy to very heavy downpours", the ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
Post-WWII order on 'brink of collapse': Amnesty head

UAE announces $544 mn for rain repairs, says lessons 'learned'

Water release resumes after partial power outage at Fukushima plant

Ecuador approves extradition, anti-gang measures

SHAKE AND BLOW
Chinese company aims to ramp up Serbia copper, gold mining

This alloy is kinky

Two-dimensional nanomaterial expands counter-intuitively under tension

US firms reestablish rare earth element production

SHAKE AND BLOW
Paris holds its breath for Olympic swimming events in murky Seine

As Olympics near, Macron says Seine will be clean enough for him

Norway women bring seaweed to culinary heights in Europe

How UK's biggest water supplier sank into crisis

SHAKE AND BLOW
Emperor penguins perish as ice melts to new lows: study

West Antarctic ice shelf stability threatened by feedback loop

New geological map redefines understanding of Greenland's subterranean rocks

From peak to plummet: impending decline of the warm Arctic-cold continents phenomenon

SHAKE AND BLOW
Satellite Monitoring Highlights Soil Sealing Challenges in the Mediterranean

El Nino threatens grain shortages in southern Africa

Philippine court blocks GMO 'golden rice' production over safety fears

Facing farmers' ire, EU lawmakers back rollback of environmental rules

SHAKE AND BLOW
10 dead as floods wreak havoc in Kenyan capital

Floods wreak havoc in Kenyan capital

Greece floods reconstruction to cost over 3 bn euros: PM

Victims of China floods race to salvage property

SHAKE AND BLOW
After villages razed in Sudan, U.S. calls for immediate end to attacks in North Darfur

African leaders call for more cooperation on terrorism

Mauritanian defence minister in Mali after diplomatic row

Hundreds in Niger tell US troops to go home

SHAKE AND BLOW
Evidence of long term human occupation in lava tube cave in Saudi Arabia

Schoningen Discoveries Highlight Wood's Vital Role in Early Human Technology

Activists slam new Hong Kong ID card policy for trans people

Paleolithic sites near water sources key to understanding early human hunting practices

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.