Greece
National Observatory of Athens- NOA
About
The National Observatory of Athens (NOA) is the oldest public research centre in Greece (founded in 1842). The activities of NOA are organized around 3 Institutes: The Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development (IERSD), the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing (IAASARS), and the Geodynamics Institute (GI). The IERSD which implement the CHOICE project, brings dedicated research skills in the observation of the environment as a whole under four thematic pillars: i. Atmospheric Environment, ii. Meteorology and Hydrology, iii. Climate and Climate Change, iv. Energy. The Climate and Climate Change pillar, focuses on studies of the past, present and future climate trends and extremes, on the assessment of the environmental, financial and social impacts of climate change and on adaptation and mitigation measures. Activities include, climate change modelling for both mean and extreme events, impacts of climate change on activity sectors (e.g., agriculture, energy demand, forest fires, tourism, health), vulnerability and adaptation assessments of various activities related to climate change and climate services provision. Furthermore, research activities of the Climate and Climate Change pillar include i) tools and methodologies to analyse data from meteorological stations and/or climate models using climate indicators to represent both mean, extremes and trends, ii) Quantitative assessment of climate change impacts on energy demand, hydrological resources, population health, tourism, agriculture, forest fires and air pollution for the present and future periods (by 2100) based on regional climate models projections and impact models’ construction and iii) Production of detailed climate information for several sectors at regional to local scales tailored for stakeholder/policy maker.
Role in CHOICE
The National Observatory of Athens (NOA) will utilize CMIP6 climate simulations and ERA5 reanalysis (limited to present climate) to calculate crucial climatic indices associated with the agriculture and health sectors on regional and national scales. Additionally, NOA will implement statistical downscaling techniques to generate high-resolution climate projections, aiming to highlight the specific impacts of climate change at localized levels and provide stakeholders with detailed insights. Furthermore, NOA will actively participate in pilot demonstration actions in Austria, Spain, and Greece. Moreover, NOA will coordinate the effort to bridge state-of-the-art science with end-users and stakeholders through liaison with various competent scientific and policy entities. This includes establishing connections with the IPCC for the timely exchange of the most up-to-date relevant project results and contributions to its assessments. The initiative will also actively promote the project activities and outcomes within the GEO community, including its regional counterpart EuroGEO.
