University of the Aegean

About: University of the Aegean is a education organization based out in Mytilene, Greece. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 2818 authors who have published 8100 publications receiving 179275 citations. The organization is also known as: UAEG.

How do you perceive environmental change? Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping informing stakeholder analysis for environmental policy making and non-market valuation

Abstract: In spite of considerable progress in our understanding of ecosystem functioning, our ability to design effective and enforceable environmental policies requires a deep understanding of human perceptions and beliefs. In this respect, what is called today stakeholder analysis is an eclectic mixture of qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques aiming at eliciting, understanding and de-codifying how individuals perceive risks and threats towards sustainability. Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) is gradually emerging as an alternative methodology capable of assisting researchers in the domain of environmental policy. We explored the promise that FCM holds to support environmental policy makers. We suggest FCM approach as a new participatory method in environmental policy: through aiding in Multi-stakeholder (actor) analysis for risk assessment, capturing values and scenarios construction. To show how this is feasible we try to answer three basic questions: How cognitive mapping can support decision-making? How FCM can support environmental decision-making? How simulation of concepts may help in communicating stakeholders' views to environmental decision makers? Then we explore the potential application of FCM in environmental policy, especially in environmental economics, trying to substantiate economic values for nature providing 'flesh and bones' to the concept of economic preferences.

Integrating new methods and tools in fire danger rating

Abstract: Prevention is one of the most important stages in wildfire and other natural hazard management regimes. Fire danger rating systems have been adopted by many developed countries dealing with wildfire prevention and pre-suppression planning, so that civil protection agencies are able to define areas with high probabilities of fire ignition and resort to necessary actions. This present paper presents a fire ignition risk scheme, developed in the study area of Lesvos Island, Greece, that can be an integral component of a quantitative Fire Danger Rating System. The proposed methodology estimates the geo-spatial fire risk regardless of fire causes or expected burned area, and it has the ability of forecasting based on meteorological data. The main output of the proposed scheme is the Fire Ignition Index, which is based on three other indices: Fire Weather Index, Fire Hazard Index, and Fire Risk Index. These indices are not just a relative probability for fire occurrence, but a rather quantitative assessment of fire danger in a systematic way. Remote sensing data from the high-resolution QuickBird and the Landsat ETM satellite sensors were utilised in order to provide part of the input parameters to the scheme, while Remote Automatic Weather Stations and the SKIRON/Eta weather forecasting system provided real-time and forecasted meteorological data, respectively. Geographic Information Systems were used for management and spatial analyses of the input parameters. The relationship between wildfire occurrence and the input parameters was investigated by neural networks whose training was based on historical data.

Governing desertification in Mediterranean Europe: The challenge of environmental policy integration in multi‐level governance contexts

Abstract: Successfully combating desertification has proven to be a demanding endeavour. Fifteen years since the UNCCD was signed, its implementation record remains poor worldwide and in Mediterranean Europe. Desertification is a complex socio-environmental problem, which requires long-term efforts towards integrating environmental concerns in sectoral and development policies, coordination among sectors, policies, agencies and programmes as well as efficient and effective multilevel collaboration arrangements. It is not accidental that Environmental Policy Integration (EPI) and multi-level governance (MLG) are central notions in the UNCCD neither that it's poor implementation record may partly be due to the difficulties of responding to these challenges. This study explores the role of EPI in combating desertification in MLG contexts. First, it briefly negotiates desertification and the UNCCD emphasizing the EPI and MLG provisions. After presenting the conceptual and methodological framework employed, it offers a broad-brush assessment of the integration of desertification concerns into development policies at the international, EU and Mediterranean member state level and the role of governance and MLG. It concludes that the state of integrating desertification concerns in development policies at all levels is poor and the current mode of governance and MLG are far from the UNCCD ideal of ‘good governance’. The low political priority of desertification, several context-specific factors, the general and sectoral mode of governance and the complexities of contemporary MLG contexts explain this poor integration. Future research directions are suggested to advance the state of knowledge on promoting EPI in MLG contexts and provide policy support for combating desertification. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.