DEVELOPING A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PARTICIPATORY MEASUREMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY

The measurement of sustainability can provide significant information in order to plan and implement environmental policies. Several methods have been proposed in the literature in order to select the appropriate indicators along with a variety of techniques for their measurement. These methods are often divided in two main categories: a) a top-down approach where the selection of sustainability indicators is often based on the decision of scientists and policy-makers and b) a bottom-up approach where local stakeholders influence the selection and the measurement of indicators. In this paper we propose a methodological framework which allows the selection of sustainability indicators based on scientific research but at the same time allows citizens to influence both the selection of indicators and their measurement. The benefits of the specific methodological framework are two: a) to incorporate in different stages of the measurement the opinions of local stakeholders, b) to assist in policy decision-making through the assessment of the current situation of sustainability

Local social capital and the acceptance of Protected Area policies: an empirical study of two Ramsar river delta ecosystems in northern Greece

Managing Protected Areas (PAs) is a challenging task, and globally many instruments have been utilised for this purpose. Existing research demonstrates that the effectiveness of these instruments is highly dependent on their social acceptability among local communities resident within PAs. Consequently, investigating local attitudes and perceptions of Protected Area (PA) policies has been emphasised in recent studies. Drawing on empirical work conducted in two National Parks including river delta ecosystems designated as Ramsar wetlands in northern Greece, this paper examines local residents’ perceptions of three hypothesized policy options (regulatory, market-based and participatory) for Park management. The influence of social capital elements (social trust, institutional trust and social networks) on residents’ perceptions is explored. The findings reveal a high degree of importance attached by resident communities to Park designation in both PAs, though residents’ perceptions of the proposed management options varied. The regulatory option was regarded as the least restrictive, while the most restrictive was perceived to be the market-based option. However, greater benefits were identified by residents from the market-based option, while the fewest benefits were considered to arise from the proposed regulatory option. Furthermore, local residents’ perceptions were significantly shaped by the proposed management and decision-making structure offered under each policy option. The influence of different social capital elements on residents’ perceptions also varied in the study sample, with social trust and institutional trust positively correlated with the benefits that were perceived to arise from the different policy options. Moreover, when social capital was measured as an aggregate indicator at the level of the individual, it was positively correlated with perceived environmental benefits

Incorporating social indicators of sustainability in public policies for environmentally degraded areas: the case of the Asopos River

This chapter will discuss the incorporation of sustainability indicators in the formation of public policies. We will focus specifically on policies that aim to tackle environmental degradation from the industry sector with subsequent socio-economic consequences for the local community and will analyze the area of the Asopos River in Greece as a case study. </jats:p

Occupational chemical burns: a 2-year experience in the emergency department

Panagiotis Touzopoulos1, Paul Zarogoulidis2, Alexandros Mitrakas1, Michael Karanikas1, Panagiotis Milothridis1, Dimitrios Matthaios1, Ioannis Kouroumichakis3, Stella Proikaki3, Paschalis Pavlioglou3, Nikolaos Katsikogiannis4, Theodoros C Constantinidis511st University Surgical Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, 2Pulmonary Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, 32nd Internal Medicine Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, 4Surgical Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, 5Medical School, Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Democritus University of Thrace, Regional Laboratory of Public Health (Eastern Macedonia-Thrace), GreeceAbstract: Chemical burn injuries are a result of exposure to acid, alkali, or organic compounds. In this retrospective study, a total of 21 patients suffering occupational chemical burns, came to the emergency room at the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, from 2008 to 2010; 76.2% were workers, 19% were farmers, and 4.8% were desk officers. The majority of burns were due to exposure to acid (61.9%). Upper extremities were the most frequently injured area followed by the lower extremities and thorax. None of the patients needed further hospital care, but in the follow-up, four of the patients suffered keloid. Proper surgical treatment at the emergency room decreases the length of hospital stay for patients who suffer chemically induced burns.Keywords: chemical burns, surgical treatment, labor accident