Under the chairmanship of the Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Mr. Christodoulos Topsidis, the Regional Operational Coordination Body of Civil Protection (PESOPP) of PAMTH met on the morning of Monday, September 7, 2026, in the "George Pavlidis" room of the Regional Administration of Rodopi, in Komotini.

The purpose of the meeting was to take preventive, preparation and operational readiness measures in view of the 2026-2027 winter season, as well as the coordination of all involved bodies to address flood risks.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Governor of Civil Protection, Climate Change Impacts, Infrastructure and Works, Mr. Costas Venetidis, the Deputy Governors of Xanthi, Ms. Vasiliki Pavlakaki, Rodopi, Mr. Manolis Tapatzas and Kavala, Mr. Theodoros Markopoulos, the Head of the Civil Protection Directorate of the Hellenic Ministry of Civil Protection, Mr. Konstantinos Houvardas, Mayors and representatives of Municipalities, as well as representatives of the Fire Department, the Police, the Coast Guard, the Armed Forces and the co-competent bodies.

In his statement, Regional Governor Mr. Topsides emphasized that prevention and coordination are basic prerequisites for effective risk management.

At the same time, he presented the actions of PAMT to enhance early warning through modern technologies, such as the installation of telemetry systems at Irish crossings, with sensors that will record the water level and automatically activate a no-passing light when the safe limit is exceeded. The data will also be available in real time through the Region's portal. In addition, through the Flood Protection II program, two hydrometeorological telemetric stations will be installed on the Evros River and through the HARMONY program, the installation of another telemetric station is also planned at the Komara bridge, on the Ardas River.

The meeting discussed the particularly increased needs of regions, such as Evros, as well as the need to strengthen prevention, cooperation and operational planning throughout the Region.

A discussion followed between the representatives of the agencies, during which issues were raised regarding controls on flood control projects, maintenance of the stormwater network and updating of the registers of contractors and machinery, as well as full operational readiness of the plans for the organized preventive evacuation of citizens.

"The resilience of our country is built with continuous effort, expertise and cooperation," concluded the Regional Governor, underlining the importance of prevention, operational preparedness and coordination, with the aim of further strengthening flood protection and the safety of citizens in view of the 2026-2027 winter season.