"The resilience of infrastructure is a key factor in addressing the impacts of the climate crisis," said Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas during his participation in Money Review’s "NatCat Summit," themed "Sharing the Risk: The Role of the Public and Private Sectors in Natural Disasters."
The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport said that, today, project design takes greater account of management and maintenance parameters, leveraging the capabilities of technology, including artificial intelligence.
“When creating new infrastructure, a holistic approach is required, one that encompasses all the interventions necessary to ensure it is functional, sustainable, and resilient for society and for the infrastructure itself,” said Mr. Dimas, citing the flood protection projects on the Patras-Pyrgos highway as a prime example.
When asked about the impact of storms “Daniel” and “Elias,” the minister spoke of massive destruction to the infrastructure of Thessaly and Central Greece, noting that the program to restore road and rail infrastructure exceeds 1.3 billion euros, of which nearly 500 million euros come from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
He spoke of an extremely demanding process, as, in collaboration with local authorities, interventions were identified and agreed upon at 1,007 locations across the road network.
“The new infrastructure being built will be more resilient so that it can withstand similar extreme weather events in the future,” added Mr. Dimas.
When asked about the private sector’s involvement in addressing natural disasters, Mr. Dimas commented that the extreme weather events of recent years demonstrate that no state can fully cover, through compensation, the consequences of a major disaster on its own, and that greater private-sector participation is required.
In this regard, he noted that the government has already established a significant tax incentive by reducing the ENFIA property tax for citizens who privately insure their property, expressing the intention to expand these initiatives in the coming years, with the aim of strengthening both prevention and insurance awareness.
SOURCE: APE