Greece - Overview

Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services

Land cover in Greece has been relatively stable since the last notable expansion of irrigated agricultural land and the establishment of animal farms in lowlands, which took place mostly during the 1980s. An increasing rate of urbanization in several coastal areas, and an extension of transport networks in the whole of the territory, peaked during the 1990s and continued up to 2000... More »

Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)

The direct causes of loss to biodiversity are: loss, modification, degradation and fragmentation of natural and semi-natural habitats; unsustainable practices used in several types of production activities; climate change; soil, water and air pollution; biological invasions; and forest fires.

Implementation of the NBSAP

Adopted in 2014 as a Ministerial Decision, Greece’s first NBSAP aims to halt biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services by 2026. The Strategy’s implementation period is 15 years (2014-2029). It consists of 13 general national targets, under which 39 specific targets have been respectively formulated, to address the following themes: (i) increasing scientific knowledge; (ii) preservation of national natural capital; (iii) national system of protected areas; (iv) conservation of genetic resources; (v) synergistic policies to conserve biodiversity; (vi) conservation of landscape diversity; (vii) biodiversity and climate change; (viii) biodiversity and invasive alien species; (ix) international and transnational conservation; (x) public administration and the protection of biodiversity; (xi) integrating biodiversity conservation in the value system of society; (xii) participation of society in biodiversity conservation; and (xiii) valuation of ecosystem services and promotion of the value of Greek biodiversity... More »

Actions taken to achieve the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Greece is carrying out activities to integrate biodiversity conservation in its value system, including in formal and non-formal education, and conducting ecosystem functions and services valuation (in socioeconomic terms). Activities to promote these values are also being carried out.

Support mechanisms for national implementation (legislation, funding, capacity-building, coordination, mainstreaming, etc.)

An Operational Program for the Environment and Sustainable Development (2007-2015) was adopted in 2007 as a component of the overall National Strategic Reference Framework (2007-2013). The second National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) was prepared in 2007 and had been partially implemented by 2009 when the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change was established... More »

Mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing implementation

The monitoring system will be completed with the preparation of a report to be included in the Action Plan for the first five-year period (2014–2019) under Greece’s General Target 1 “Increase knowledge about the assessment of biodiversity status”, and Specific Target 1.1 “Facilitate access to scientific knowledge (regarding Greek flora and fauna) and fill the gaps in scientific data”... More »