The National Observatory of Athens (NOA) presented the role of science and modern technological infrastructures in the prevention and management of flood phenomena at the meeting of the Subcommittee on Water Resources of the Special Permanent Committee for Environmental Protection of the Hellenic Parliament, on February 26, 2026.
NOA was represented by Dr. Evangelos Gerasopoulos, Vice President of the NOA Board of Directors and Director of the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, and Dr. Charalambos Kontoes, Research Director at the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing.
During Dr. Gerasopoulos’s presentation, the extensive network of stations and operational systems of NOA for the early forecasting of extreme weather events and the development of early warning systems for floods were highlighted. Illustrative examples of applications for municipalities and regions by the METEO operational unit were presented, as well as the quantification of heavy rainfall in Mandra, Attica, by the meteorological radar of the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, the Hydronet water level network in selected riverbeds through the participation of the hydrology team in the national Himiofots infrastructure. New infrastructures and tools being developed through the NOA-AEGIS program to enhance forecasting and resilience against both natural and anthropogenic hazards were also presented.
Finally, the institutional participation of NOA scientists in Committees and Groups of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection was emphasized, contributing to risk assessment and the prevention of natural disasters.
Watch the statements of the NOA representatives in the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdakIWlGKQ4