Copernicus

The Hellenic Space Center (HSC) signed a deal on Thursday with local firm TotalView that will give state agencies access to high-quality satellite images - superior to the EU's Copernicus program - that they can use to track wildfires and gauge their aftermath, capture environmental violations, help map property lines, assess farmers' compensation claims and much more. 

The EU's Copernicus/Emergency Management Service - Mapping service found that the ongoing wildfires in west Attica that started from the settlement of Kouvaras have destroyed 3,472 hectares, of which 164 were built-up areas, houses, businesses, farms etc. 

Copernicus, the EU's Earth observation program, has been activated for the immediate mapping of the areas in Eastern Attica, Western Attica, Viotia and Corinth (Loutraki) that has been burned in wildfires since Monday.

Data have been collected since 1950

Last summer was the hottest in Europe for the last 70 years. Scientists from the European Union's Earth observation program said that since keeping statistics, the period June-August 2021 is the warmest in their reports.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras this week heralded the creation of a new national emergency service in the wake of last month's deadly wildfires in Attica, but in fact Greece already has an expert agency that has for years been offering its expertise via Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation program - chiefly to other countries though.