Dutch plan to protect Thessaly from flooding expected in February

Dutch experts hired to draw up a plan to protect Thessaly's plain from flooding are expected to deliver their conclusions by the end of February, the Greek CEO of HVA International Miltiadis Gouzouris told AMNA on Sunday.

Gouzouris also noted that this will focus more on agriculture than on urban areas or villages.

"We chiefly deal with the management of water that comes from either rain or rivers that end up in the Thessaly plain and the economic activities of the region, such as agriculture, livestock breeding and industry," the CEO explained.

He said the team of experts was charting the area and visiting key locations, such as places where banks and dams had burst, to work out ways to prevent a repetition of these events in the future or alternative ways of managing large quantities of rainfall, such as "controlled flood zones".

Gouzouris also pointed out, however, that lack of water was currently a bigger problem for Thessaly than flooding, despite the destructive floods of September, and the plan will include proposals to address this also.

He stressed the need for careful planning going forward and also the need to train local residents and teach them how to respond in the event of floods, such as where to go in order to be safe, with programmes tailored to each area.

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