Kick-Off Meeting for GAPs Project: Advancing Green Infrastructure, Biodiversity, and Light Pollution Reduction

On 4 March 2026, the official kick-off meeting the official kick-off meeting for the Green Areas Partnerships (GAPs) project was held at the Municipal Council Hall of the Municipality of Georgios Karaiskakis in Ano Kalentini. and it brought together the Municipality of Kentrika Tzoumerka (as lead partner),the Municipality of Dropull and the Municipality of Georgios Karaiskakis along with MA/JS representatives. Following our recent mobility alignments, the partners reconvened to outline the strategic implementation of this €1,45 million environmental initiative.

Strategic Focus of the Kick-Off

The meeting agenda centered on the project’s primary policy objective: enhancing the protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure while actively reducing air, noise and light pollution. Partners detailed the operational frameworks required to transition degraded public spaces and brownfields into vital recreational green zones.

Key strategic milestones discussed during the meeting included:

• Green Infrastructure Execution (WP3): Coordinating the public works required to support 22,25 hectares of green infrastructure. This includes transforming three former landfills in Dropull into green areas, and upgrading specific peri-urban locations in Ano Kalentini, Piges, Vourgareli, Melissourgoi, and Athamanio.

• Combating Light Pollution: A major focal point of the agenda was the implementation of smart, autonomous urban lighting solutions. These systems are strategically chosen to minimise light pollution, thereby protecting nocturnal wildlife habitats and reducing the overall environmental footprint of the municipalities.

• Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions: Aligning on the procurement and installation of endemic plantings, irrigation networks, and pedestrian pathways to ensure these spaces are sustainable and accessible.

• Digital Innovation and Strategic Planning (WP4): Establishing the development timeline for the “Urban Greening Plans.” This joint digital tool will enable municipal technical departments to systematically evaluate environmental footprints and propose long-term, nature-based urban greening solutions.

Through these structural alignments, the GAPs partnership is taking decisive, collaborative action to foster sustainable, resilient, and pollution-free environments for our cross-border communities.