Greece is stepping up its efforts to combat wildfires, hiring more specialised firefighters and planes and increasing spending in the wake of last year’s devastating blazes that destroyed 1.3mn hectares of woodland.
As the country braced itself for another scorching summer, Christos Stylianides, appointed as Greece’s first minister for climate crisis and civil protection last September, is ready for his preparations to be tested in one of the climate crisis hotspots of the eastern Mediterranean.
The government has earmarked more than €152mn this year for extra firefighting aircraft and the cleaning and maintenance of woodlands, a figure significantly higher than previous years. The amount does yet not include workers’ salaries.