ATHENS — The Environment and Energy Ministry has collaborated with a team from the US Forest Service’s Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) programme, which presented a report on the works already carried out in fire-stricken areas, as well as proposals for protecting and restoring them.

The presentation by the US experts was carried out with the participation of Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas, the US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt, the Secretary-General for the Natural Environment and Water Constantinos Aravossis and the environment ministry’s deputy general director of forests and the forest environment, Vangelis Gountoufas.

“After the disastrous wildfires of last August, our top priority is to reconstruct the fire-stricken areas and adapt forest ecosystems and the natural environment to the repercussions of the climate crisis. The American scientists expressed their satisfaction with the extent of the works in the fire-stricken areas and their rapid implementation. They recommended that we continue the excellent work in order to fully protect the areas and settlements hit by the wildfires from possible floods,” Skrekas said.

On his part, Pyatt said that the members of the team had verified, among others, that the Greek government has taken the right measures for the recovery of the burned areas.

The US team was in Greece for 15 days and visited the fire-stricken areas in northern Greece, the island of Evia, Ancient Olympia and the town of Vilia.