Western Macedonia Research Articles

Just transition governance to avoid socio-economic impacts of lignite phase-out: The case of Western Macedonia, Greece

The energy transition may become a factor that suspends economic growth for the areas still heavily dependant on the extraction of fossil fuels. Therefore, the implementation of ’green’ technologies must be coupled with measures aiming at sustainable regional development. In this context, the aim of the present study is to highlight specific aspects of the energy transition governance in the region of Western Macedonia, Greece, which are considered critical to ensure the fair treatment of all social groups affected by the ongoing changes. According to the conducted analysis of historical data and official statistics, the region faces socioeconomic problems, which are recorded as a decrease in population, GDP, and the number of jobs in mining, energy idustry, construction, and agriculture. Although the Just Transition Development Plan 2021–27 of Western Macedonia was the first officially adopted by the EU, its footprint has not yet been visible to the local communities. The conclusion is that effective transition governance relies on participatory procedures and partnerships, without exclusions, and on actions that utilize the region's inherent strengths. Furthermore, since the energy transition has been promoted by political decisions at the highest level, mitigating its adverse socio-economic impacts can be achieved in the same way.

What Makes Farmers Aware in Adopting Circular Bioeconomy Practices? Evidence from a Greek Rural Region

Action 2 of the European Union’s Updated Bioeconomy Strategy, i.e., “Deploy local bioeconomies rapidly across Europe”, promotes education and training in all member states. It is a fact that Greece has not yet adopted a national bioeconomy strategy, so stakeholders and farmers cannot benefit from its potential. The adoption of bioeconomy practices is now a prerequisite for receiving funding under the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027. Farmers unknowingly use some bioeconomy practices on their farms, and in this study, an attempt was made to investigate how farmers in the region of Western Macedonia would like to be trained in respect of the bioeconomy, knowing the opportunities it offers. The research was conducted through a structured questionnaire answered by 412 farmers from the region. The findings from the subsequent k-means cluster analysis show that farmers can be classified into three clusters: engaged, restricted, and partially engaged. The perceptions that predominate in each cluster are influenced by age, income, and the regional unit in which the farmers reside. In addition, the decarbonization of the Western Macedonia region influences their views and how they would like to be informed about opportunities arising from the bioeconomy. Limitations in this study include the fact that the sample consists only of farmers living and operating in a particular region. In addition, there is an urgent need for political will to establish a national strategy for the bioeconomy. The importance of the present study lies in the fact that few studies have addressed the training of farmers on bioeconomy issues either in Greece or internationally.

Thermal and Electromagnetic Design of a Superconducting Coil

This article presents the methodology followed for the thermal and electromagnetic design of a superconducting coil at the University of Western Macedonia, Kozani, Greece, aimed to be used in a unique superconducting magnetic energy storage system for laboratory education and research purposes. First, we discuss the design constraints of the coil and select its dimensions using both the electromagnetic finite element method (FEM) and analytical equations based on the available length of a YBCO high-temperature superconductor. Then, we select the position of the coil inside a vacuum chamber. Then, an initial experiment without thermal load is performed to measure the cooling characteristics of the cryocooler. Using the results of the experiment and employing thermal FEM, we obtain an approximation of the cryocooler's cooling power versus time. After placing the coil and the thermal shield in the selected position inside the chamber, we carried out an experiment to measure the cooling curve with the load attached. The cryocooler's cooling power is approximated using the same FEM procedure. Thus, for this specific thermal load, the behavior of the apparatus is known. The methodology followed for the design of this unique system can be easily replicated by other researchers.

The Emergence of Non-Energy Uses of Coal and the Future of Lignite Mining in a Region of Low Carbon Footprint, a Case Study

Abstract The rapid development of renewable energy sources, which has been going on for the last two decades, allows now the elimination of the coal use for power generation. Nevertheless, coal will continue to be used in key-industrial sectors, such as steel and cement production, which are crucial for maintaining the living standards of modern society. The future remains doubtful for coals of poor quality characteristics, such as lignite, which is used almost exclusively for power generation purposes. The present study aims to show that, even in the case of lignite, the transition to a zero-carbon economy must be decoupled from the mines closure. In this context, a combined SWOT–AHP analysis was conducted in order to compare seven potential non-energy uses of the lignite produced in the mines of Western Macedonia region, based on six criteria that are in line with the framework set by the European Union for the selection of the best technologies for every site-specific case. This comparison showed that the most promising technologies are related to the production of organic fertilizers and soil amendments, raw materials and products for the construction industry, activated carbon, and graphene. These technologies may contribute to the achievement of socioeconomic and environmental targets that are critical for the just transition of Western Macedonia region to a new, sustainable productive model.

Role of Governance in Developing Disaster Resiliency and Its Impact on Economic Sustainability

This study explores the role played by governance in developing disaster resiliency and its impact on economic sustainability in Greece. Descriptive research was undertaken, and data were collected from 180 local governance leaders in Western Macedonia, Greece, to gain a deeper understanding of the role of governance in developing disaster resiliency and economic sustainability. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the focus of governance in developing disaster resiliency positively affects economic sustainability. The ability of governance to develop disaster resiliency and economic sustainability is mostly through leadership, engaging civil society, and international cooperation. These roles played by governance are also influenced by different political, economic, cultural, and social aspects, which all have an impact on the risk governance systems that cut across levels of resource assurance, technical support, and disaster risk management. Governance may have a significant impact on the overall design of rules and systems, including legislation, different decision-making procedures, and policy-implementation mechanisms, via political leadership. In terms of economics, the primary responsibility of governance is to support disaster risk-reduction systems. Governance must encourage risk awareness on a national basis through intensive disaster risk research, technological development, disaster-reduction education, and emergency response skills practice.

Effectiveness of the IoT in Regional Energy Transition: The Smart Bin Case Study

As part of the European Green Deal, the EU aims to become climate-neutral and reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Lignite has long dominated the electricity system of Greece, providing cheap and reliable energy, given the abundant and low-cost domestic resources at the cost of increased emission. In line with its national and international commitments to climate action, Greece needs to urgently transform its energy system and overcome its technological lock-ins, paving the way for a net-zero emission economy by the mid-century. The Internet of Things plays a significant role in this direction, providing with its technologies the protection of the environment and creating new jobs. The smart bins constitute an interesting proposal for areas in the energy transition. This research work reflects the current situation in the region of Western Macedonia and proposes the smart bin project as a part of the solution in the transition to the post-lignite era. For this purpose, survey research has been conducted in the municipalities of Greece on waste management technology.

Air Quality Versus Perceived Comfort and Health in Office Buildings at Western Macedonia Area, Greece during the Pandemic Period

This study investigated the indoor environment quality (IEQ) of eight office buildings of interest due to: (a) their location at the region of Western Macedonia, Greece, which is an area characterized by aggravated air quality and is currently in a transition phase because of changes in the energy production strategy to reduce the use of lignite as an energy fuel; and (b) the survey’s timing, characterized by new working conditions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic period. In-site measurements were performed to identify the indoor air pollutants to which the occupants were exposed, while questionnaires were collected regarding the participants’ perception of the working environment conditions, indoor air quality, and health symptoms. The statistical analysis results showed that the most-reported health symptoms were headache, dry eyes, and sneezing. The acceptance of new working conditions showed a significant correlation with their overall comfort and health perception. Occupants in offices with higher pollutant concentrations, such as NO2, benzene and toluene, were more likely to report health symptoms. The evaluation of the plausible health risks for the occupants of the buildings with carcinogenic and no-cancer models showed that health problems could exist despite low pollutant concentration levels.

Combined Investigation of Indoor Environmental Conditions and Energy Performance of an Aquatic Center

This study presents a combined investigation of indoor environmental conditions and energy performance in a naturally ventilated aquatic center in Western Macedonia, Greece. The experimental analysis was conducted over nine days during the summer. The operative temperature exceeded the acceptable limits for most days, while the same can be stated for the PMV, demonstrating high indoor air and radiant temperature values. The weaknesses of applying the above thermal comfort models in this type of buildings are also discussed. Relative humidity presents generally acceptable values during operation time, indicating the contribution of natural ventilation; nevertheless, as demonstrated by the CO2 concentration values, the ventilation rate can be further increased. On the basis of the above findings, a renovation scenario has been formulated, considering the installation of an air-conditioning system, as well as specific interventions, towards the improvement of the building envelope and systems’ thermal performance. A dynamic energy analysis, based on Energy Plus software, had energy savings of 9%, noting the considerable upgrade of indoor conditions. Overall, the proposed combined investigation approach proved to be suitable for such a complicated problem, as the one of indoor aquatic centers, presenting a high generalization potential.

GIS-Based Assessment of Hybrid Pumped Hydro Storage as a Potential Solution for the Clean Energy Transition: The Case of the Kardia Lignite Mine, Western Greece

Planned decommissioning of coal-fired plants in Europe requires innovative technical and economic strategies to support coal regions on their path towards a climate-resilient future. The repurposing of open pit mines into hybrid pumped hydro power storage (HPHS) of excess energy from the electric grid, and renewable sources will contribute to the EU Green Deal, increase the economic value, stabilize the regional job market and contribute to the EU energy supply security. This study aims to present a preliminary phase of a geospatial workflow used to evaluate land suitability by implementing a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique with an advanced geographic information system (GIS) in the context of an interdisciplinary feasibility study on HPHS in the Kardia lignite open pit mine (Western Macedonia, Greece). The introduced geospatial analysis is based on the utilization of the constraints and ranking criteria within the boundaries of the abandoned mine regarding specific topographic and proximity criteria. The applied criteria were selected from the literature, while for their weights, the experts' judgement was introduced by implementing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), in the framework of the ATLANTIS research program. According to the results, seven regions were recognized as suitable, with a potential energy storage capacity from 1.09 to 5.16 GWh. Particularly, the present study's results reveal that 9.27% (212,884 m2) of the area had a very low suitability, 15.83% (363,599 m2) had a low suitability, 23.99% (550,998 m2) had a moderate suitability, 24.99% (573,813 m2) had a high suitability, and 25.92% (595,125 m2) had a very high suitability for the construction of the upper reservoir. The proposed semi-automatic geospatial workflow introduces an innovative tool that can be applied to open pit mines globally to identify the optimum design for an HPHS system depending on the existing lower reservoir.

Technical and Scale Efficiency of farms producing grapes for wine

climatechange and the subsequent requirements to comply with environmental standards, continuoustechnological change, and the need to adapt it, adjust, and remain competitive. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic hardship it brought about, followed by the current energy crisis,make it imperative to address issues of competitiveness and efficiency of farm units. Theseunfavorable developments particularly affect mountainous and disadvantaged rural areassuch as the Region of Western Macedonia in Greece. Furthermore, the decarbonizationprocess that this region is undergoing, leads to a period of uncertainty, especially in relationto employment. The cultivation of vineyards and wine production are dominant economicactivities with Xinomavro being the main grape for wine variety. The efficiency of grape-producing farms are considered important for the whole wine supply chain. The objective of this paper is to estimate the technical and scale efficiency of wine-related agricultural firms in the region of Western Macedonia, by applying the DEA methodology. An output-oriented empirical model was applied for the estimation of technical and scale efficiency of farms producing grapes for wine.
 Keywords: technical efficiency, scale efficiency, wine grape cultivation, Western Macedonia, wineries

Adoption of Information and Communication Technology in Agricultural Sector : The case of the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece

Adoption of Information and Communication Technology in Agricultural Sector : The case of the Region of Western Macedonia, Greece

Pricing Policies for Sustainable Growth and Development Led by Tourism in the Region of Western Macedonia

Pricing Policies for Sustainable Growth and Development Led by Tourism in the Region of Western Macedonia

Mountain Landscape and Human Settlement in the Pindus Range: The Samarina Highland Zones of Western Macedonia, Greece

Past human mountain settlement patterns and resource and high-altitude landscape exploitation are underexplored research fields in archaeology. This study presents data gathered during more than 20 years of fieldwork in the Pindus range of Western Macedonia (Greece), focusing in particular on Holocene land use. The investigated territory is located around the Vlach town of Samarina. The area is partly bounded by Mounts Vasilitsa, Gurguliu, Bogdani and Anitsa, and their interconnecting watersheds between ca. 1400 and 2000 m a.s.l. This research led to the discovery of many sites and findspots of lithic and ceramic artefacts attributed to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and several Historical periods. The radiocarbon results show an unexpected longue durée of Holocene human landscape use. The number of sites, their distribution, location, and subsistence strategies exhibit shifts between the Middle Palaeolithic and different periods of the Holocene, which are closely related to the exploitation of the mountain environment and its resources. Moreover, typical knapped stone artefacts have been used as a proxy for dating the glacial landforms which characterise the Samarina highland zone; we correlate them to the better-known moraine systems of Mount Tymphi in Epirus and contribute to the reconstruction of the Pleistocene glacial landscapes of the Pindus Range.

The Contribution of Teaching Practice to Preservice Teachers’ Training – Empirical Research of the Department of Primary Education of Western Macedonia University Students’ Evaluation

The Contribution of Teaching Practice to Preservice Teachers’ Training – Empirical Research of the Department of Primary Education of Western Macedonia University Students’ Evaluation

Entomological Surveillance Activities in Regions in Greece: Data on Mosquito Species Abundance and West Nile Virus Detection in Culex pipiens Pools (2019-2020).

Human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) infections have been recorded in Greece since 2010, with seasonal outbreaks (summer-autumn) on an almost annual basis, caused mainly by the WNV lineage 2 strain (Nea Santa-Greece-2010). National Public Health Organization (NPHO) in Greece is annually implementing enhanced surveillance of human WNV infection, in order to promptly identify human cases of WNV infection and monitor distribution in terms of time and place. Entomological surveillance activities were carried out on a national basis in 2019 and 2020, under NPHO coordination and the collaboration of several private subcontractors, along with the Unit of Medical Entomology, Laboratory for Surveillance of Infectious Diseases (LSID). The aim was to monitor mosquito species composition, abundance, and WNV circulation in mosquito pools of Culex pipiens s.l. species. Adult mosquito traps were placed in selected sites; collected samples were morphologically characterized and pooled by date of collection, location, and species types. Female Culex pipiens s.l. pools were tested for WNV and WNV infection rates (MIR and MLE) were estimated. Highest mean number of female Culex pipiens s.l. species was recorded in Central Macedonia both for 2019 and 2020. Six hundred and fifty-nine mosquito pools (147 in 2019 and 512 in 2020) of female Culex pipiens s.l. were examined for WNV presence. The highest MLE was detected in Western Macedonia in 2019 and in Thessaly in 2020. Here, we present data on the mosquito species composition in the studied areas and WNV detection in mosquitoes from areas in Greece where the specific national mosquito surveillance program was implemented, for two years, 2019 and 2020.

Investigation of the particulate air pollution and the ratio of PM2.5 to PM10 concentrations in the atmosphere over the lignite mining and lignite-fired power plants region of Western Macedonia, Greece.

The lignite long-lasting exploitation has resulted in a series of negative impacts on the air quality of the lignite basin of Ptolemaida, Amynteo and Florina. The coal-fired plants in this region are the greatest sources of air pollutants, such as SO2, NOX, CO2, PM, heavy metals and fly ash. In this study, we investigate the air quality of Western Macedonia based on measurements of PM2.5 and PM10 in ten air quality monitoring stations (Filotas, Koilada, Oikismos, Petrana, Komi, Amyntaio, Florina, Vevi-Meliti, Pontokomi and Anargyroi) which are located in the broader area of the lignite power plants. The trends of PM time series over a 12-year period (2010-2021) show a gradual decrease of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations following the decline of lignite production in Greece. In order to characterize the underlying atmospheric and anthropogenic processes affecting the PM concentrations we assessed the ratios of PM2.5 to PM10. The high ratios of PM2.5/PM10 indicate a major contribution of fine particles attributable to anthropogenic air pollution sources, while small ratios indicate that coarse particles are dominant, which might be related to natural sources of air pollution. We found that average PM2.5/PM10 ratios during the study period ranged between 0.48 in Oikismos and 0.70 in Florina and Vevi-Meliti. For Florina and Vevi-Meliti, the daily PM2.5/PM10 ratios were found to reach the value of 1.0, while the daily average ratios of PM2.5/PM10 were above 0.9 for almost the 15 % of the days in these sites. In the other sites high daily ratios of PM2.5/PM10 were found for a lesser number of days. The high ratios which have been found at these sites indicate the considerable contribution of energy combustion for heating purposes and other anthropogenic processes. Overall, we used the PM2.5/PM10 ratio to characterize the processes affecting the air quality within the local environment.

The Albanians in the Balkans during World War II

After the end of the First World War, some countries in the Balkans remained dissatisfied with the status quo achieved with the Versailles system of peace treaties. The Albanian movement for territorial and ethnic Albania failed to fully realize - Kosovo and Metohija remained in the Royal Yugoslavia, established in 1918, which emerged from the First World War as a victorious state. The large Albanian population is a serious problem for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. One of the culprits, according to some researchers, is Belgrade's own political circles in the interwar period. Nationally, culturally, economically and politically, the Albanians in this period are in the worst position of any other national minority in the royal Yugoslavia. Here are a few examples to support the above. In the period between the two world wars, the Albanian minority in Yugoslavia did not have a single school in their mother tongue, nor did it have a single cultural, educational or economic association. Dissatisfaction among Albanians from Kosovo and Metohija is growing with the policy of colonizing the Serb population from other parts of the country. This policy of repression against the Albanian population in Kosovo and Metohija provoked his numerous emigration to Albania. Much of the progressive emigration, in the person of Hassan Prishtina, Bedri Peyani, Ibrahim Gjakova and others, is extremely hostile to the Yugoslav state. This was cleverly used by the Albanian and Italian governments to break up Yugoslavia years later. In this regard, it is very important for Italian intelligence to engage Kosovo emigration in order to achieve full Italian control over Albania and weaken Yugoslavia's position in the south. With the impending new military confrontation on the international field, which would undoubtedly affect this region of Europe as well, Albanians see a real opportunity to achieve their national goals. Undoubtedly, the Albanian territory is also included in the geostrategic plans of the major countries for conducting military operations in the Balkans and implementing their further plans. In this regard, Italy's goal of making Albania a bridgehead in the Balkans for control of the Straits and the Middle East is to support the aspirations of Albanian nationalists after their long struggle to create a state that unites all Albanians. The status quo of the Balkans, reached by the Versailles system of peace treaties, was destroyed in the course of the Second World War. From all the Balkan states Albania was the first to experience the new order of Hitler and Mussolini and with their help accomplished its national program, precisely с the unification of the Albanian people and establishment of an Albanian identity in the Balkans. With the capitulation of Yugoslavia on April 7, 1941, a new territorial situation was created for the Axis forces and their satellite allies. The partition of Yugoslavia is one of the conditions for the realization of the „New Order“ in Southeast Europe. Convinced that the time was coming when, with the help of Italy and Germany, Kosovo and Metohija, western Macedonia, the eastern regions of Montenegro, etc. would enter Albania's borders, the Kosovo Committee with leading figures of Albanian nationalism, such as Bedri Pejani, Rexhep Mitrovica, Ibrahim Gjakova and Rexhep Krasniqi, have elevated political concepts for ethnic and territorial Albania familiar from the interwar period. In these years „Greater Albania” was a wartime creature, which did not get international recognition. The end of the war also put to rest the idea of a national unification of the Albanian people. The Albanian state again had its boundaries established after the end of the World War I; a large part of the Albanian population was left outside of these borders.

In-Depth Study of PM2.5 and PM10 Concentrations over a 12-Year Period and their Elemental Composition in the Lignite Center of Western Macedonia, Greece

Western Macedonia, located in North-western Greece, is largely dominated by lignite mining and lignite-fired power plants, which are a significant part of the country’s economy. However, the electricity generation and the related activities are among the greatest sources of air pollutants. In this study, we focus on the air quality of Western Macedonia based on measurements of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) over a 12-year period (from 2010 to 2021) and a sampling of PM-bound trace elements over the course of 12 months (from December 2017 to November 2018). The analysis revealed an overall decrease of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations over the study period. In general, the concentrations of PM exhibited seasonality patterns associated with the weather conditions and the local sources of air pollutants. These major sources of air pollution are the lignite mining processes, the emissions from the lignite-fired power plants, and the anthropogenic emissions from the biomass burning and heating systems. In addition, the analysis of the PM-bound trace elements revealed some differences; the elemental profiles of both PM2.5 and PM10 were quite similar, while the most abundant elements (Ca and Si) indicate that the main emission sources were related with the mining activities and the coal combustion.

Neolithic bone tool technology and typology from the region of four lakes, Western Macedonia, Greece

In the last twenty years the Archaeological Service of Florina has conducted extensive surface surveys and large-scale excavations in the Prefecture of Florina, situated in Northwestern Greece. This research has identified the establishment of a great number of prehistoric settlements in the area of the four lakes (Lake Chimaditis, Lake Zazari, Lake Vegoritida and Lake Petron) that date back from the Greek Early Neolithic (6700/6500-5800/5600 BC) to the Greek Late Bronze Age (1700/1500-1100 BC). One of the extended settlements of the region is the former lakeside settlement Anarghiri IXb which was situated on the north-eastern shore of Lake Chimaditis and was inhabited almost uninterruptedly from the middle of the 6th millennium BC to the end of the 5th millennium BC. Extensive investigation so far yielded thousands of wooden piles, thousands of figurines, chipped stone tools as well as antler and osseous artifacts. The bone tool assemblage from the Neolithic layers of the settlement forms one of the numerous assemblages in Greece and the Balkans. The present study of the material seeks to assess the raw material preferences, the typology and the technology of the osseous tools which seem to have played a significant role in the everyday activities inside and outside of the settlement.

Geostatistical Modeling of Overburden Lithofacies to Optimize Continuous Mining in the Ptolemais Lignite Mines, Greece

Lignite production in Greece is implemented mainly by the Public Power Corporation (PPC), with the higher production being in the Lignite Center of Western Macedonia. A continuous surface mining method is used in order to satisfy the high production needs combined with the necessity for selective mining; however, the occasional appearance of hard rock formations in the South Field mine overburdens was critical for the adoption of a discontinuous auxiliary method of rock mass removal, at these places, by explosives and large shovels. Furthermore, to minimize the delay of changing the machinery arrangements when a hard rock formation is met, an a priori knowledge of the spatial distribution of these rock masses would be catalytic. In this work, a plurigaussian simulation model of the overburden geological formations is developed in the South Field mine. This model could be used as a guide to schedule and optimize the overburden removal process. Validation of the model was affected in two ways: by direct comparing estimated to real cross-sections as observed on mine slopes or by correlating PPC’s recorded volumetric results to the average simulated hard rock percentages.