13

October

15

October

TAIEX TSI - Enhancing disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in Cyprus

Programme


Day 1: Monday, 13th October 2025
Chair: Dr. Nikoletta Kythreotou Head of Climate Action Unit, Department of the Environment, MARDE
Please note that the event will be recorded in all plenary sessions. Please note that the event is interpreted in Greek and English in all plenary sessions.
8:45 EEST Arrival of onsite participants and light welcome coffee. Connection of online participants and technical verifications.
9:00 Welcome address
- Mr. Christoph Klockenbring, SG REFORM, EUROPEAN COMMISSION
- Ms. Leda Skordelli, Senior Growth Officer, Directorate for Sustainable Development, Directorate General Growth, Ministry of Finance, CYPRUS
- Dr. Theodoulos Mesimeris, Director, Department of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, CYPRUS
- Ms. Maria Papa, Commander, Civil Defence, Ministry of Interior, CYPRUS
9:45 Cyprus National climate change adaptation strategy and action plan
- Mr Ayis Iacovides, IACO Environmental & Water Consultants Ltd, CYPRUS
10:15 The EU mission on adaptation: Resources and networks to support climate adaptation action
- Dr. Sophie Berger, EUROPEAN COMMISSION
10:45 Reforming, developing and enhancing the civil protection system from a climate change adaptation perspective
Moderator: Mr. Thomas Dworak, Fresh Thoughts Consulting & SG REFORM

- Reforming, developing and enhancing the civil protection system in Cyprus
Ms. Maria Papa, CIVIL DEFENCE, CYPRUS and Mr. Costas Hatzis, EXPERTISE FRANCE, CYPRUS
- Civil protection and disaster risk management in Greece
Dr. Katerina Trepekli, MINISTRY FOR CLIMATE CRISIS AND CIVIL PROTECTION, GREECE
- EU insights for civil protection and disaster risk management
Ms. Anna Battistutta, European Commission (online)
12:30 Lunch break
13:30 Forest fire risk management and sustainable forestry practices
Session with Spanish <> English <> Greek interpretation.
Moderator: Dr. Daniela Hohenwallner-Ries, alpS & SG REFORM

- Fire risk management in Cyprus
Mr. Evangelos Andreou, DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, MARDE, CYPRUS
- Reducing vulnerability to fire risks in the forests of Gran Canaria
Mr. Federico Grillo, EMERGENCY SERVICE, GRAN CANARIA, SPAIN (online)
- Integrated fire risk management in Portugal
Mr. Mario Monteiro, AGÊNCIA PARA A GESTÃO INTEGRADA DE FOGOS RURAIS (AGIF), PORTUGAL
15:30 Coffee Break
16:00 Parallel session 1: The energy sector and climate change adaptation
Moderator: Ms. Sabine McCallum, Fresh Thoughts Consulting & SG REFORM

- GRIDWATCH: A multitasking tool for a risk mitigation and prevention in electrical grids
Ms. Nuria Cantó, IREC, SPAIN
- Driving change on a local level.  Mitigation policies in Gran Canaria (online)
Mr. Raúl García Brink, CABILDO DE GRAN CANARI, SPAIN
- Resilient by design: Integrating climate risk into energy infrastructure
Mr. Miljenko Sedlar, NORTH-WEST CROATIA REGIONAL ENERGY AND CLIMATE AGENCY
16:00 Parallel session 2: Adapting the insurance sector to climate related risks
Moderator: Ayis Iacovides, IACO Environmental & Water Consultants Ltd & SG REFORM

- Insurance as a tool for climate adaptation: The experience of Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros in Spain
Mr. Francisco Espejo, CONSORCIO COMPENSACIÓN DE SEGUROS, SPAIN
- The Cyprus insurance market, recent compensation trends, adaptation challenges to increasing climate change risks
Mr. Ioannis Theodosiou, E.N. MANOS Ltd, CYPRUS
- The role of regulators in supporting adaptation of the insurance sector
Dr. Marie Scholer, EIOPA (online)
17:30 EEST AOB and wrap up of day 1


Day 2: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Chair: Mr. Marios Papanicolaou Climate Action Unit, Department of the Environment, MARDE
Please note that the event will be recorded in all plenary sessions. Please note that the event is interpreted in Greek and English in all plenary sessions.
8:45 EEST Arrival of onsite participants. Connection of online participants and technical verifications.
9:00 Adapting water resources management to changing climatic conditions
Moderator: Dr. Nuria Hernández-Mora, Fresh Thoughts Consulting & SG REFORM

- Water losses reduction and compliance with the Drinking Water Directive in Cyprus
Mr. George Kazantzis, WATER DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MARDE
- Increasing water efficiency in the urban water sector
Eng. Gianfredi Mazzolani, ACQUEDOTTO PUGLIESE
- The experience of Spain with modelling and planning for climate change impacts on water resources
Dr. Teodoro Estrela, JÚCAR RIVER BASIN AUTHORITY, SPAIN (online)
- Water reuse and circular economy: Environmental and socioeconomic implications
Mr. Manuel Sapiano, ENERGY AND WATER AGENCY, MALTA
11:15 Coffee Break
11:45 Sustainable agricultural practices and soil management
Moderator: Mr. Thomas Dworak, Fresh Thoughts Consulting & SG REFORM

- Making Mediterranean agriculture biodiversity friendly and resilient to climate change: The experience of Olivares Vivos+ LIFE project
Dr. Georgios Koumporis, ELGO DIMITRA, GREECE
- Accelerating the transition to a regenerative agricultural sector (online)
Mr. Wouter-Jan Schouten, ReGeNL, NETHERLANDS
13:00 Lunch break
14:00 Assessment of the financing needs of the revised national adaptation strategy and comparison with costs without adaptation
Dr. Theodoros Zachariadis, THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE
14:30 Financing adaptation action workshop
Moderator: Mr. Ayis Iacovides, IACO Environmental & Water Consultants Ltd & SG REFORM

- Financing Adaptation Pathways: Insights from the Pathways2Resilience Project
Dr. Kostas Dellis, ATHENS UNIVERSITY
- Financing adaptation in the municipality of Aradippou, Cyprus
Mr. Christodoulos Partou, Mayor, and Ms. Effie Zikouli, ARADIPPOU MUNICIPALITY, CYPRUS - Climate resilience in Region Western Greece. Present state and financing tools
Dr. Stefanos Papazisimou, REGION OF WESTERN GREECE, GREECE

16:30 EEST End of Day 2


Day 3: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Chair: Dr. Nikoletta Kythreotou Head of Climate Action Unit, Department of the Environment, MARDE
Please note that the event will be recorded in all plenary sessions. Please note that the event is interpreted in Greek and English in all plenary sessions.
8:45 EEST Arrival of onsite participants. Connection of online participants and technical verifications.
9:00 Nature based solutions for climate resilience
Moderator: Ms. Sabine McCallum, Fresh Thoughts Consulting & SG REFORM

- Building heat resilience in Zagreb, Croatia, through nature-based solutions
Mr. Miljenko Sedlar, NORTH-WEST CROATIA REGIONAL ENERGY AND CLIMATE AGENCY, CROATIA
- Implementing nature-based solutions in the Lèze Valley
Mr. Thomas Breinig, SYNDICAT DE LA VALLÉE DE LA LÈZE (SMIVAL), FRANCE
- Managing flood risk in Limassol
Mr. Michalis Vrionidis, DLGO Limassol, CYPRUS
11:00 Coffee Break
11:30 Spatial planning and climate change adaptation
Session with Spanish <> English <> Greek interpretation.  
Moderator: Mr. Ayis Iacovides, IACO Environmental & Water Consultants Ltd & SG REFORM

- The Island Plan: Its basis on Cypriot spatial planning legislation and its implementation prospects with respect to Vision 2035
Mr. Phaedon Enotiades, DEPARTMENT OF TOWN PLANNING AND HOUSING, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, CYPRUS
- Incorporating climate change adaptation into spatial plans: the experience of the Basque country
Ms. Estíbaliz Martín Zabala, BASQUE GOVERNMENT, SPAIN
13:00 Lunch break
14:00 Enhancing adaptation planning and action at the regional and local levels
Moderator: Dr. Daniela Hohenwallner-Ries, alpS & SG REFORM

- Promoting the uptake of adaptation actions by local authorities
Ms. Christina Andreou, CYPRUS ENERGY AGENCY, CYPRUS
- Fostering local climate adaptation plans and actions
Ms. Silvia Cañellas-Boltá, BARCELONA PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, SPAIN
- Local flood risk management plans
Mr. Javier Loizu, OREKAN-NAVARRA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, SPAIN
16:00 Coffee Break
16:30 Engaging communities and civil society in climate action
Moderator: Ms. Angela Nicolaou, IACO Environmental & Water Consultants Ltd & SG REFORM

- The experience of the Environmental Education Unit at the Cyprus Ministry of Education
Dr. Giorgos Fyttis, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SPORT AND YOUTH, CYPRUS
- Tallin’s Climate Citizen Assembly
Ms. Tuuli Veersalu, TALLIN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OFFICE, ESTONIA (online)
17:30 Closing remarks
18:00 EEST End of event

Mon, 13 Oct 2025
Wed, 15 Oct 2025

events@fresh-thoughts.eu