38 Int. J. Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Vol. 18, Nos. 1/2, 2022
Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Greece on a sustainable future: reviewing constraints
and practices regarding forest and water resources
management, flora and fauna biodiversity
Panagiotis P. Koulelis*,
Alexandra D. Solomou and
Vassilia P. Fassouli
Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems,
Hellenic Agriculture Organisation Demeter,
Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia
11528 Athens, Greece
Email: pkoulelis@fria.gr
Email: solomou@fria.gr
Email: vasfas@aua.gr
*Corresponding author
Stefanos Tsiaras
Department of Environmental Sciences,
School of Technology,
University of Thessaly, Greece
Email: stsiaras@uth.gr
Panos V. Petrakis
Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems,
Hellenic Agriculture Organisation Demeter,
Terma Alkmanos, Ilisia
11528 Athens, Greece
Email: pvpetrakis@fria.gr
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.