When a small island municipality ranks among the top performers in Civil Protection at national level, it is more than a local achievement. It is a powerful sign that prevention, preparedness and day-to-day commitment can make a real difference on the ground.
That is why Ithaca’s recent recognition as the 6th-ranked municipality in Greece for Civil Protection matters well beyond the island itself. The result reflects concrete prevention measures already in place: the preventive cleaning of vegetation areas and the systematic care and maintenance of stormwater wells. These may seem like small, routine actions, but they are essential to reducing the risks posed by floods, wildfires and other climate-related emergencies.
For SAFER project, in whichthe Municipality of Ithaca is a partner, this is especially meaningful. Bringing together partners from Greece and Italy, the project aims to help communities better anticipate risks, strengthen preparedness and improve early warning systems for floods, wildfires and other climate-related hazards. In Ithaca, this work will take shape in a real local context, through pilot activities carried out on the ground.
Here, the Municipality will actively contribute to testing and implementing SAFER’s preparedness and early-warning tools in its territory. At the same time, it will bring its experience in disaster prevention to the SAFER Observatory, the project’s cross-border network for sharing data, knowledge and good practices, and contribute to the development of guidelines and policy recommendations for stronger climate adaptation.
Seen in this light, Ithaca’s distinction is not only good news for the island. It is also a strong starting point for the wider SAFER journey. It shows that the project begins not from theory alone, but from a place where prevention is already part of everyday action, and where local experience can be transformed into shared cross-border value for a safer and more resilient Greece–Italy area.
