Title: Greece on a sustainable future: reviewing constraints and practices regarding forest and water resources management, flora and fauna biodiversity

Authors: Panagiotis P. Koulelis; Alexandra D. Solomou; Vassilia P. Fassouli; Stefanos Tsiaras; Panos V. Petrakis

Addresses: Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Hellenic Agriculture Organisation Demeter, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia 11528 Athens, Greece ' Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Hellenic Agriculture Organisation Demeter, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia 11528 Athens, Greece ' Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Hellenic Agriculture Organisation Demeter, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia 11528 Athens, Greece ' Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Technology, University of Thessaly, Greece ' Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Hellenic Agriculture Organisation Demeter, Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia 11528 Athens, Greece

Abstract: The forest policy in Greece and the current regulatory framework is not efficient in supporting the implementation of sustainability at a satisfactory level. The main scope of this study is to review and present constrains and practices across the sectors of forest and water resources management, flora and fauna biodiversity. The hypothesis is that common practices in the forest field combined with inefficient and obsolete legislation are responsible for delays in the implementation of a national forest policy, which will promote sustainability. A systematic reviewing methodology was applied so to ensure a rigorous and repeatable method of sustainability constraints identification and evaluation. The identification of the constraints can promote the improvement of legislation, the revision of common practices concerning the forest sector and finally can help the forest managers to better understand how to work effectively within legal, regulatory and operational environments deriving from forest policy.

Keywords: forest management; biodiversity; constraints; sustainability; SDGs; Greece.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2022.124637

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2022 Vol.18 No.1/2, pp.38 - 54

Received: 10 Mar 2021
Accepted: 13 May 2021
Published online: 31 Jul 2022 *