The second visit of the Climate Change Hub to Skiathos took place on 24 and 25 November, as part of the SMILE project, a sub-project of the Pathways2Resilience (P2R) Programme (Horizon Europe), marking one more step towards developing a resilience strategy for the island through a participatory process.

During our meetings with the Mayor, Mr Theodoros Tzoumas, members of the municipal council and teachers from the island’s secondary schools, we had the pleasure to present our new project undertaken by the Climate Change Hub in collaboration with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA), with representatives from both organisations. The new project is called REACT: Resilience, Education and Action for Climate Transformation, and is funded by the Green Fund (Funding Programme: “NATURAL ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE NEUTRALITY 2024”).

2nd workshop “The Future of Skiathos

The 2nd workshop titled “The Future of Skiathos – Co-designing the Resilience Strategy for a Climate-Resilient Future” took place at the Skiathos Municipal Council Hall, with strong participation of representatives from the Municipality, educators, and local stakeholders. The workshop was designed and delivered by the Climate Change Hub and ELIAMEP, with the support of Resilient Cities Catalyst and the active contribution of the Municipality of Skiathos.

The workshop began with remarks from the Mayor of Skiathos, Mr Theodoros Tzoumas, who referred to the visible impacts of climate change on the island and the importance of Skiathos’ participation in the Pathways2Resilience programme. He stressed that “through the municipality’s participation in this programme, the development of a resilience strategy—which is now a legal requirement—can be achieved through a participatory process in collaboration with citizens.”

Mrs Maria Logotheti, President of the Climate Change Hub, noted: “Inaction is not a policy option – it is a social and economic haemorrhage. For the first time, the cost of inaction is higher than the cost of action. As the Climate Change Hub, whose goal is to mobilise civil society to address climate change, we are here today to give citizens and local stakeholders a voice to propose solutions, so that Skiathos can create its own resilience strategy and take the lead in creating green jobs and social dividends.”

During the workshop we had the opportunity to present the project REACT: Resilience, Education and Action for Climate Transformation—a collaboration between the Climate Change Hub and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, funded by the Green Fund.
Dr Stella Tsani, Associate Professor at the Department of Economics of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and scientific lead of the project, stated:
“REACT aims to link scientific data with local action, beginning with raising awareness among secondary school students. During our visit to Skiathos, we met with teachers and pupils, and the first impressions were extremely positive. We see young people, educators and stakeholders who are highly motivated to take action and to update preparedness plans for extreme weather events related to climate change.”

A presentation of the outcomes of the first workshop, held on 17 February 2025, followed by Mrs Konstantina Karydi, Managing Director of Resilient Cities Catalyst Europe and Vice President of the Climate Change Hub, and Mr Anastasios Valvis, Project Manager in the Strategy and Innovation Directorate of EYDAP S.A. During the first workshop, participating stakeholders and residents of Skiathos prioritised the most significant crises and pressures facing the island. Then, the Mayor briefly outlined the main interventions currently being implemented on the island referring to the detailed mapping —available on the platform cchub.eu - of municipal interventions addressing climate change.

After that, a dynamic participatory exercise took place in which all attendees were invited to collectively imagine the ideal future of Skiathos after ten years, using visual and collaborative tools designed to activate collective thinking for the development of a resilience strategy.

Visual Story exercise outcomes

The outcome of the exercise, titled Visual Story – Building a Narrative for the Future of Skiathos Based on Selected Social and Climate Risks, was the creation of four different visionary proposals for the island’s future, developed by four sub-groups:

· Skiathos: The Island of Happiness
· Skiathos: A Holistic Approach to the Health of the Island and Its Residents
· Smart and Integrated Waste Management – Nothing Goes to Waste
· Skiathos: A Solidarity-Based Fire Protection Shield

The aim of the workshop was to enable participants to envision the future of Skiathos using specific tools grounded in resilience and in the long-standing pressures and crises affecting the island. The resilience strategy scheduled to be developed at the end of this participatory process is planned to be accompanied by an investment plan that aligns with the strategy.

Overall, the Pathways2Resilience (P2R) programme, which runs for 18 months, seeks to develop resilience strategies and build long-term planning skills in 100 regions and municipalities across Europe.

Pathways2Resilience has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101093942. The European Commission bears no responsibility for the use of the information contained herein.