Thriasio Plain Greece: multiple urban-environmental issues and proposals for a possible recovery of the area

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1 Thiasio Plain Geece: multiple uban-envionmental issues and poposals fo a possible ecovey of the aea A. Mavakis 1*, L. Salvati 2 1 Institute of Uban Envionment and Human Resouces, Depatment of Economic and Regional Development, Panteion Univesity, 136 Syngou Av., Athens, Geece 2 Consiglio pe la Riceca e la speimentazione in Agicoltua, Via della Navicella 2-4, I-184 Rome, Italy *Coesponding autho: mavakisan@yahoo.g, Tel , Fax: Abstact This study investigated long-tem tends in selected envionmental indicatos (population, industial activities, settlement dispesion, land use and ai quality) in paallel with some climate vaiables in Thiasio Plain, the lage industial aea of Geece located twenty kilometes fa fom Athens. Bestfit models using multinomial, exponential and Vehulst equations have been consideed to estimate population dynamics, tends in the established activities and the consequent changes in land-use ove time. Models indicate a continuous incease of both esident population and established activities, although the gowth ate of both vaiables was found spatially-heteogeneous. Land availability played an impotant ole in the economic development of the aea. The pesent study poposes an oiginal famewok to analyze population, economic and envionmental data togethe with land-use tends and planning measues. These infomation ae consideed impotant to set up sustainable land management stategies addessing the envionmental and social fagility of industial aeas developed at the finge of lage cities Keywods: Thiasio Plain; envionmental issues; inteactive effect; land use changes; toxicity. 1. INTRODUCTION In antiquity the Thiasio Plain, was one of the holiest aeas of Geece, with its cente at Elefsis. This place was in antiquity, one of the most fetile and pleasant valleys of the whole Geece, it used to be an agicultual and cattle-beeding aea; but it is also the lagest plain in Attic, the closest to the capital and with a splendid position nea the sea, with a vast bay and easy links with some othe impotant places, such as Cointh, the whole Peloponnesus and the Aegean islands. Fom the beginning of the 2 th centuy, Thiasio Plain Geece has been the aea that boe the bunt of the industialization of Geece. This egion, oiginally devoted to agicultue, expeienced an exceptionally apid industial and economic development duing coupled with dastic land-use changes and gowing population [1], [2], [3]. In the yea 186 it seems that the histoy of the contempoay city began by the settlement of mechants, the constuction of a ailway tack (1884) and the opening up of Cointh Isthmus. The installation of the soap-making factoy of Chailaou (1875), the cement industy TITAN (192), the distilleies VOTRYS (196) and KRONOS (1922) meant the industialization of the city while, in 1938 the fist pollution of Elefsis Gulf fom oil tanspoted fo the industial needs was noticed. Afte the end of the wa, but also of the civil tagedy that follows it, Thiasio and especially Elefsis entes definitely into the couse of industialization. Its geogaphic situation and its habou favoued the development of any kind of economic activities. Thus, apat fom the old industies that ae now modenized, new factoies ae established in the town aea. In 1953 the steel factoy stats functioning. In 1955 the oil factoy is built and few yeas late smalle factoies like the ice factoy and the shipyad Savvas ae founded. Today it is the industial backyad of Athens, hosting 4% of Geek industy with 1,623 industial plants. In the egion opeate ove 3 industial and caf-based installations, fom which, some of the biggest industies of the county, such as: two oil efineies (Hellenic Petoleum S.A., Petola Hellas S.A.), two steel industies (Hellenic Halyvougia, Halyvougiki S.A.), two cement industies Poceedings of the Intenational Confeence on Changing Cities II: Spatial, Design, Landscape & Socio-economic Dimensions ISBN: , Poto Heli, Geece, June 22-26,

2 (TITAN, Halyps Cement-Italcementi Goup), an ammunition industy (PYRKAL), two shipyads, ship scapping installations, a commecial habou (as well as a oadstead, whee vessels can lie at ancho), establishments of petol poducts stoage and pocessing, thee fossil fuel pocessing units, one pape pocessing industy, scap units, chemical industies and pits. Besides that, thee is also the fothcoming opeation of the gigantic new cago facilities and ailway station of Hellenic Railways Oganisation (OSE). The aea has become one of the most envionmentally degaded aeas of the county. The majoity of these plants dispose much of thei aw waste into the sea, the shallow sensitive bay of Eleusis, ceating anoxic conditions and effectively tansfoming the bay into a dead sea. On top of that moe than 5, ships dock in the 16 pies of the bay evey yea, 5 decommissioned ships ae mooed thee, slowly usting into the sea while 1 shipwecks pollute the sea, [3], [4], [5]. On June 24, 24 the Cout of Justice of the Euopean Union filed against Geece fo lack of sewage teatment and sanitation and a yea late Geece was convicted fo polluting the goundwate with hazadous waste. Afte its gloious past in ancient times, fo a long peiod, the aea fell into oblivion: duing the peiod of Tukish domination it was almost uninhabited and a few yeas befoe the establishment of the Geek state it is mentioned as a small fish village. The settlement of 2. Geek efugees fom Asia Mino in 1922 is followed by the population blow-up of 5 s by the settlement of inhabitants of Epius, Chios, Dodecanese, Cofu and late on (196) of Cete and epatiated Geeks fom the Black Sea. By the simultaneous installation of many big and small industies, Thiasio changed completely its fom. The needs of the industies fo labou foce ceate successive waves of domestic migation, Geeks nationals (Pontians) fom ex-ussr counties, Albanians, Roma and Sindi, caused a second population blow-up in ecent yeas. An estimating population of some 12, people living in the aea [1], expeiences the toment of Tantalus, looking at a sea that cannot be appoached. Out of 15 km of coastline, 12 km ae occupied by pot activities of gagantuan-sized industial and manufactuing units, gas woks, steel woks, cement woks, oil distilleies, all located within metes of what looked like esidential zones, act like a baie fo esidents fom sea-shoe. The pesent study poposes an oiginal famewok to analyze population, economic and envionmental data togethe with land-use tends and planning measues. This appoach is consideed impotant to set up sustainable land management stategies addessing the envionmental and social fagility of industial aeas developed at the finge of lage cities. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS The data used, coveing diffeent time peiods fo esident population ( ), economic activities (1969-) and uban settlements ( ), wee collected in the famewok of the Geneal Census of Population, Households and Buildings and the Business Registe [7]. Both data souces wee povided by the National Statistical Sevice of Geece (ELSTAT). Data fo uban settlements wee supplemented with a photo-intepetation of uban aeas caied out by one of the authos (A.M.) using compaable Landsat satellite images taken in 1972, 1977, 1984, 1987, 1991, 21, 29 and 213 at 4 m spatial esolution [1]. Due to the unavailability of statistical data fo some points in time, vaious models including a Vehulst equation, two multinomial models (R 1 and R 2), and an exponential (R 3) equation have been calculated fo both esident population, economic activities and uban settlements with the aim to estimate the vaiables' gowth ate ove time (see Table 3). Equation paametes wee detemined using odinay least squae egession. Tends in esident population, local economic activities and built-up aeas have been calculated fo each local municipality and supplemented with the annual gowth ate estimated fo each time inteval studied. Indicatos of pe capita land consumption in Thiasio plain have been finally calculated by municipality and yea fom the vaiables peviously descibed. 544

3 The Vehulst equation has the following fom: dn N = N ( 1 ) (1) dt K when N(t) epesents the numbe of individuals (o entepises) at time t, is the intinsic gowth ate and K is the caying capacity, o the maximum numbe of individuals (o entepises) that the envionment can suppot. The multinomial equation (R 1 and R 2) has the following fom: 2 P = a + a 1 t + a 2 t (2) whee P is the population (o entepises) at time t, and α, α1 and α2 ae the model paametes (with α as the constant). The exponential equation (R 3) has the following fom: P = a + exp ( a 1 t ) (3) whee P is the population (o entepises) at time t, and α is the constant. We fitted the secondode model twice: once consideing the available points in time since 1969 (R 1), the othe consideing the available points in time since 192 (R 2). This allows us to compae estimates based on diffeent amounts of infomation fo eithe population gowth o the incease in the established activities. Census data fo economic activities ae spoadic in Geece and wee available fo the study aea since 1969, [1], [2], [5]. Climatic and meteoological data cove the time inteval between 1958 and 211 and wee povided fom the Hellenic National Meteoological Sevice (HNMS) efeing to Elefsis station (LGEL). Data included monthly aveage values of ai tempeatue, elative humidity and cumulated ainfall. Elefsis station's weathe time seies is one of the most complete and accuate in Geece. The station is located in the militay aipot of Elefsis and should be consideed as epesentative of the climate egime insisting in the whole Thiasio [1], [2], [3], [5], [6], [8]. Ai quality data ae adopted fom the local and Ministy of Envionment ai pollution netwok, [3]. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 Population and Established Activities gowth The obseved tends in the thee investigated vaiables (esident population, economic activities and uban settlements) ae illustated in Table 1, calculated on the peiod Taken togethe, the aea concentated nealy 8, inhabitants in 211 with an uninteupted incease since the ealy 192s and moe than 26 activities with 13 km2 of land actually devoted to uban uses out of a total of 12 km2 (see also Figue 2), [1]. The scoes-of-fit R2 fo the evaluated models is epoted in Table 2 fo both population and economic activities. All models pefomed quite well with the highest R2 obseved fo Vehulst equation and the exponential model. This indicates that the oveall patten fo both population and activities was appoaching an exponential gowth, although signals fo a declining tend wee obseved especially in the municipality of Elefsis, which is the head town of Thiasio. Elefsis industial aeas ae zoned and an attempt was made to implement an uban plan though an econeighbouhood poject to constuct 88 housing units in the City of Elefsis. This poject has been caied out by the Wokes Housing Oganization, an institution that, since its foundation in 1954, is esponsible fo social housing in Geece, but until now the pogam did not opeated, although housing poblems wee not solved, [9]. Table 3 shows the time tend of two indicatos of land-use efficiency: pe capita built-up aea and sealed land pe activity. Pe capita built-up land inceased in Thiasio fom 115 m2 in 1971 to 172 m2 in 211 with the highest incease obseved duing (+5% pe yea) and (+8% pe yea). Aspopygos is the municipality with the highest pe capita land consumption peceding Elefsis and Manda. Nealy one hectae of land was available to each economic activity 545

4 in 1969 but the value deceased to only.3 ha in indicating industial intensification with the incease of small-size factoies and delocalized logistic facilities. Table 1. Population and industial activities in Thiasio (absolute figues by yea and municipality) Vaiable Aspopygos Elefsis Manda Magoula Total Population % gowth ( ) 3,5 7,3 1,5*,8* 5,7 % gowth ( ) 6,9 1,7 2,3* 8,3* 4, Industial Activities % gowth ( ) 2,4,5 1,3 6,5 1,4 % gowth ( ) 4,1 5,7 3,9 3,7 4,5 Table 2. R 2 scoes of the models with population gowth and economic activities as dependent vaiables and time as independent vaiable by municipality Model Thiasio Aspopygos Elefsis Manda Magoula Population gowth Vehulst,962,966,85,95,97 Multinomial (R 1),99,919,96,953,996 Multinomial (R 2),966,961,986,981,997 Exponential (R 3),973,966,846,965,98 Economic activities Vehulst,969,974,823,981,986 Multinomial (R 1),952,98,89,959,99 Multinomial (R 2),893,95,696,959,99 Exponential (R 3),973,969,835,952,985 The highest gowth ate was obseved in the municipalities of Aspopygos and Elefsis (although the gowth ate declined in the last decade in both municipalities) while Manda and Magoula expeienced modeate inceases in both population, economic activities and built-up aeas even in the most ecent time inteval. The obseved tends ae in line with the uban hieachy found in geate Athens' aea: as a matte of fact, Elefsis and Aspopygos ae two sub-centes of Athens- Piaeus conubation. 546

5 Table 3. Selected indicatos of pe capita and pe activity land consumption in Thiasio plain by municipality and yea Absolute values Annual ate of change (%) Thiasio Aspopygos Elefsis Manda Magoula Thiasio Aspopygos Elefsis Manda Magoula Resident population ,5 3,9 9,1 -,7 -, ,8 1,8 2, 1,3 -, , 3,9 3,9 4,1 5, , 3,7 1,9 4,6 8, ,2 1,2 1,,9 5, ,1 2,3 1,3 3,2 4, ,3 8, 1,2 1, 4, ,1,9 -,4 4, 2,5 Economic activities ,1 7,4 3,4 3,5 23, ,6 9,3 1, 7,3 12, ,6 35,5 4,3 18,6 29, ,6 4,2 4,6 4,8 6,4 Built-up aeas (hectaes) ,8 4,7,,9 6, ,1 4,8 4,7 1, 2, ,9,4,1 3,1 7, ,8 1,4,5,4, ,3 5,2 2,4,1 6, ,2 4,8 1,3 4,4 3, ,4 1,5 1,2,9 1,3 The joint analysis of population, activity and settlement tends (Figues 1 and 2) is thus of inteest when assessing population dynamics and the egional economic stuctue. Results show that the evolution of economic activities has not been consistent in all municipalities. Aspopygos eceived the lagest numbe of established activities which detemined a apid change in the use of land fom cultivated aeas to uban settlements. This is likely due to the lage availability of flat and fetile fee land (both public and pivate) aound the uban coe of Aspopygos, contay to what was obseved in the othe municipalities. Until the middle 198s, industial activities showed low ates of gowth in all municipalities. Since the ealy 199s, howeve, industial settlements expanded moe apidly in Aspopygos than in the othe thee municipalities, [1]. Land availability affects the stuctue and the futue development of an aea. The gowing industial activities and migation fom aboad eflect this dynamic inteplay since such factos contibuted to the (changing) mophology of Thiasio towns. As an example, new-come population in Aspopygos was settled in infomal houses in scatteed villages close to the industial settlements. This happened because the old esidents of Aspopygos did not abandon the agicultual poduction despite the gowing industial activity and so the immigant population seaching fo cheap housing settled on the available finge land. Mainly Roma and Pontian Geeks fom Russia settled in these newly built-up locations occupying land in an abitay way and then legitimized by the state befoe elections, [1], [2]. Migants also inceased with the expanding industial activities. Living conditions in these aeas become unstable because of the lack of adequate wate supply and tanspot. Poblems of social integation aose togethe with the incease of ciminality [11], [12]. 547

6 Figue 1. Model esults fo Population (left) and Established Activities (ight): a) Thiasio, b) ASP: Aspopygos; c)ele: Elefsina; d)man: Manda; e) MAG: Magoula. 1,5 11,25 Actual Pop Actual Activities 11 Calc Pop,45 1 Calc Activities Population Vehulst (_H) Thiassion R-1 Thiassion R-2 Thiassion R-3,4,35,3,25,2 Established Activities Vehulst (_H) EA R-1 EA R-2 EA R-3,2,15,1,15 3 3,1,5 1,5 1,, a) 45,6 65,25 Population Actual Pop Calc Pop Vehulst (_H) ASP R-1 ASP R-2 ASP R-3,55,5,45,4,35,3,25,2 Established Activities Actual Activities Calc Activities Vehulst (_H) ASP R-1 ASP R-2 ASP R-3,2,15,1 1,15,1 15 1,5 5,5 5,, b) 45,6 35,25 Actual Pop Actual Activities Population Calc Pop Vehulst (_H) EL R-1 EL R-2 EL R-3,55,5,45,4,35,3,25,2 Established Activities Calc Activities Vehulst (_H) ELE R-1 ELE R-3,2,15, ,15,1,5 5,5,, c) Actual Pop Calc Pop,5 25 Actual Activities, Vehulst (_H) MAN R-1 MAN R-2 MAN R-3,45,4,35 Calc Activities Vehulst (_H) MAN R-1 MAN R-2,35,3 Population ,3,25,2 Established Activities 15 1 MAN R-3,25,2,15 5,15 4,1 3,1 5,5,5 1,, d) 6,6 9,25 Actual Pop Actual Activities Calc Pop Vehulst (_H) MAG R-1 MAG R-2,55,5, Calc Activities Vehulst (_H) MAG R-1,2 MAG R-3 MAG R-3 Population ,4,35,3,25,2 Established Activities ,15,1 15 1,15,1 2,5 5,5 1,, e) 548

7 Figue 2. The evolution of uban settlements in Thiasio between 1972 and 213 (ASP: Aspopygos; ELE: Elefsina; MAN: Manda; MAG: Magoula)

8 Although some industial aeas have been zoned, no uban plans have been applied in the aea, which means that e.g. no industial paks have been developed with geeney, leisue spaces and othe facilities [13], [14], [15]. The industialization of the aea and the convesion of ual land towads uban uses geneally occued out-of-plan o though eclassification of fee (geen) spaces into industial zones, a typical pocess of planning deegulation. As a consequence, the cuent spatial oganization of Thiasio plain was mainly disaticulated and confused, being chaacteized by a mixtue of esidential settlements, agicultual fields, industial paks, efineies, a militay base and pot facilities. The establishment of these activities in the aea took place without developing (o even planning) the needed infastuctues. Moe than half entepises have been located outside the statutoy industial zones. As a esult, poduction units lack in a sevice netwok, wheeas esidents' quality of life is gadually declining. This phenomenon led to envionmental poblems including ai and wate pollution, soil contamination, land degadation, foests fies and ovegazing [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19]. 3.2 Envionmental Issues The industial activities has tuned the Thiasio Pedio to a paticulaly polluted aea (ai / sea / gound / undegound wate pollution). Ai is also highly polluted, due to the industial activity, fossil fuel consumption and taffic ciculation, the costal zone pollution is the top-anking envionmental poblem and anothe poblem is taffic congestion and noise pollution, due to heavy vehicles ciculation, like loies o busses: the noise pollution is consideed as a vey seious envionmental poblem [3], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19]. Although the natual envionment has been spoiled fom industialization, in the last yeas, by a numbe of inteventions, the atmospheic and sea pollution in Elefsina bay has been slightly educed. Hee is an example of a long-tem planning-elated index fo the evaluation of mean annual stess of ai pollution, AQI 1, [3], [19]: C( SO ) C( NO ) C ( O ) C ( P M ) AQI = (4) whee C indicates the annual mean concentation of the espective pollutant expessed in μg/m3, and the denominatos coespond to the Commission of the Euopean Communities (CEC) annual limit values. A planning Ai Quality Stess Index (AQI 2 ), fo shot-tem ai pollution stess is expessed by the elationship: ( SO ) N( NO ) N ( O ) N ( P M ) 1 1 N AQI = (5)

9 whee N indicates the numbe of times in a yea, the espective pollutant exceeds the CEC theshold value, and the denominatos coespond to the annual numbe of exceedances allowed by the CEC. The pollutants consideed in this study pesent a pedominantly industial pofile acoss the whole aea. Nevetheless, oad taffic also seems to be playing a significant ole. Summaizing the emaks pesented above we can conclude that: AQI1 (Figue 3a) has high values suggesting the existence of an ai quality poblem in the Thiasio Plain. It also indicates a shift of the main contibuto fom SO2 to O3 and PM1 duing the last decade. The esults indicated an impovement of ai quality in the aea duing the last yeas. The AQI2 index (Figue 3b) shows that ai pollution episodes wee educed. The majo contibution to the values poduced by ai quality indices was made by PM1 and Ozone, while the othe pollutants showed a mino contibution. Figue 3. Results fo AQI1 (a) and AQI2 (b) indices. AQI-1 2,2 S-A S-B EL-1 MAG EKM 2, P.As ASP EL-2 GER GOR 1,8 AL EL-1A AQI-1 1,6 1,4 1,2 1,,8,6,4,2, a AQI-2 2,8 2,6 EL-1 MAG 2,4 EKM 2,2 P.As 2, ASP 1,8 EL-2 1,6 AL 1,4 EL-1A 1,2 AQI-2 1,,8,6,4,2, YEAR b Table 4. A compaative table with meteoological values deviations and fo Established Activities and Population Tempeatue Pecipitation Relative humidity Rate of gowth ,7 5,5-6,5,5 1989, -16,3,4,6 1993,1-5,1-4,2,9-1, 13,5 -,4 3,2 Established Activities Population 25 1,8 6,9 1,9 12, 28-2,2 12,3-3,5 14, ,2 3,5 2,4 3, ,5 3, -3,1 1,2 1991,2-16, -7, 2,1 21 -,6,6-2,1 3,3 211, 12, 7,7 1,1 Also a compaative study between thee majo meteoological paametes and the ate of gowth of Established Activities (EA) and Population (P) (Table 4), shown impact of development to the meteoological paametes and especially to Relative Humidity which decease as the ate of gowth of EA and P is inceased [4], [8], [2]. We can summaize the othe envionmental issues of the aea [15], [17], [21], [22], [23], as follow: Destuction of the landscape of Attica both fom an aesthetic as well as an ecological point of view, due to fies, unegulated building, abandoning conventional cop cultivation etc. Ecological and aesthetic degadation of mountains and foests, confimed by quantitative and qualitative eduction of vegetation and biomass concentation, especially intensified afte the destuctive fie of 27 in Panitha. Additionally, eduction of biodivesity esulted by the destuction, fagmentation and degadation of ecotopes. 551

10 Spatial fagmentation of natual envionment, constituting a majo isk fo its pesevation and fo the population inhabitating it, leading to the eduction of its ecological contibution towads the impovement of climatic conditions. Lack of total uban development plans o zoning of ual land and envionmentally sensitive aeas (in some aeas today Uban Contol Zones have been established), significantly affecting degadation of ecosystems. Thee ae no consistent appoaches fo both natual and cultual envionment with egad to thei potection, pomotion and management. Actions fo incopoating the exta-uban and uban natual envionment in the life of citizens ae ae and incompatible. Existing potected aeas lack a total uban planning, oganizations and opeation. The management is poo, with many ovelapping competences of vaious bodies concened. Degadation and shinking of the land of natual ecosystems as well as ual land in sububan aeas, and soil consumption in othe uses, dispopotionate to the needs, leading to immediate and long-tem envionmental and economic consequences, as well as the degadation of impotant steams of the aea Qualitative degadation of goundwate in uban and industial aeas. Ove abstaction and limited supply of aquifes esults in a dop of gound-wate levels, which ceates isks of phenomena of subsidence. Destuction of two natual spings of Thiasio, the fist situated in Kamai (cuently Pefectue of Voiotia) and the second dewpond-sping situated in Neoktista of Aspopygos, which although was cemented ove, is still gushing wate, especially duing the winte peiod. Coastline system of Thiasio and the Gulf of Elefsis must be disengaged and opened to public use of the citizens, unde the potection of the Constitution, as it enjoys inceased envionmental potection unde Aticle 24 of the Constitution, fistly as a site of histoical significance (Hoa), and secondly as a sensitive ecosystem, able to eceive only soft activity. Unauthoized establishment of industy along the coastline, having occued duing a peiod when people wee less awae of the existence of the envionmental issue, not only blocks the fee unobstucted access of people towads the sea, but also destoys it. Fatal mistakes of destuctive development do not belong to past definite. 3.3 Policies and Planning The lack of policies containing uban spawl, pomoting an envionmentally fiendly industial development, suppoting taditional agicultue, and potecting foested land fom fie and infomal settlements contibutes to unsustainable development, [23], [24], [25]. A lage numbe of industial and poduction units wee established on the aea without any pevious plan egading the kind of the activities and the consequences to local envionment as well on the esident s quality of life. Land consumption and settlement deegulation was an indiect consequence of the «Action Plan fo spatial and sectional development in Thiasio Plain and Westen Attica» with shinking taditional agicultue and the gadual disappeaance of olive goves. Until the ealy 199s the most impotant envionmental poblems wee ecoded in the coastal aea, while the mainland Thiasio conseved a landscape chaacteized by olive goves and taditional gaden cops. Howeve, the concentation of land-consuming activities in Thiasio does not only bing to envionmental degadation, but it also poses a question on long-tem integity of mount Panitha national pak which bounded the study aea fom the noth-easten side. New off plan towns emeged on the west pat of the mountain as well as alongside the national motoway Elefsis Thiva. In these aeas scatteed out-of-plan settlements have been developed foming small towns locally known as 'the villas of the poo' due to the peculia social segegation obseved in such aeas, [26], [27], [28], [29], [3], [31], [32], [33]. The tanspotation pojects developed in the last yeas acceleated the establishment of activities, while exacebating the taffic poblems in the aea. Attiki Odos (the new high-way system connecting Kointhos and Athens intenational aipot), togethe with the new commecial station of the Hellenic Railways Oganization and the new industial pot of Elefsis, played a catalyzing ole 552

11 fo the economic development of Thiasio. Logistic is the economic secto with the highest gowth ate in the aea and equies new waehouse facilities and tansit centes possibly geneating a downwad spial towads futhe land consumption and soil sealing [13], [14], [28], [31], [32], [33], [34], [35]. 3.4 Natual Ecosystems Fom the othe hand, the natual ecosystems of the aea (fauna and floa) can play a vital pat in combating poblems esulting fom moden development, whethe this is elated to industialization, o to the expansion of the uban netwok. Howeve, at the same time, the natual ecosystems bea the esulting pessue and envionmental degadation. The dominant chaacteistic of the natual envionment of the aea today is the lage pecentage of deseted ual land, which is being used as gazing land. Howeve, some pats of this aea ae still being cultivated, used mainly fo hoticultual cops, as well as olive-tees and pistachio tees. Thee ae also some scatteed foest tees (oaks, pines, cypesses and oleastes), as well as seveal shubs, eeds and pole and gaigue o phygana (kemes oak, phlomis futicosa, thyme, thistle, asphodelus). Specifically fo oaks, it has to be mentioned that until 3 yeas ago, oaks constituted a spase foest [with the toponym Lissia (=oak tee)] coveing the aeas adjacent to the nothen boundaies of the Municipality of Elefsis, the easten boundaies of the Community of Magoula and the following aeas which belong to the Municipality of Aspopygos: Goitsa, Psai and Roupaki. In geneal, vegetation in the aea is degaded due to the pessue of uban and industial development as well as ovegazing. Futhemoe, the pevalence of gaigue is typical to degaded aeas. Extended pesence of asphodelus indicates desetification, wheeas at the same time sububan vegetation pesents signs of degadation, [21], [34], [35], [36], [37], [38], [39], [4], [41], [42]. As egads the fauna of the aea, pesence of a consideable numbe of odents is obseved, as well as eptiles (mainly snakes) and invetebates. In addition, the pesence of canivoous animals (fox, feet, pine maten) as well as of some common bids (collaed dove, magpie, caion cow, blackbid, spaow, owl and ae falk) is also noticeable in the aea. The Elefsis Gulf could play a significant ole as a key ecosystem of the geate aea, which nevetheless today seves only as waste eceiving aea fom multiple souces in the geate dainage basin. Fom a cultual, economic, biological and ecological point of view, an enclosed gulf constitutes an impotant ecosystem. The Elefsis Gulf has been chaacteized as a sensitive aea, based on a definition povided in the Diective 91/271/EEC on uban sewage, accoding to Joint Ministeial Decision 19661/1982 as of 2 nd August Lake Koumoundouou, with its natual continuation, Echos Hill, has been chaacteized as an Aea of Outstanding Natual Beauty. Lake Koumoundouou is the sole natual lake in the Pefectue of Attica; In the Antiquity, it was dedicated to goddess Pesephone and is one of the two saced lakes of Antiquity (Reitoi). In the location whee the efiney stands today, thee was anothe lake, dedicated to goddess Demeta, which was cemented ove. In the lake, pats of an ancient bidge and a lage building wee found, attibuted to the late Roman peiod, as well as taces of a pat of Iea Odos, which fom the Temple of Aphodite Afaia along bypassed Echo Hill on the ight until Lake Koumoundouou. Moeove, in the notheasten pat of the efiney aea thee is a sping of susaline wate which flows into the sea though a shot steam. Today, the shot steam has been coveed. Wate fom this sping (Kefalai) is mixed with wam sewages poduced by the efiney befoe it flows into the sea, a phenomenon causing the degadation of natual heitage of the aea. The lake coves a suface of 143 m2, its coastline is 13 m, its maximum length is 6 m and its maximum width is 4 m. In Lake Koumoundouou thee is also a sublake feshwate sping. The wate supply of the lake is estimated at 35-4 m3/day. In the last yeas, wild duck populations have appeaed in the aea and some swan pais ae also spoadically obseved [21]. Finally, on both sides of Halyvougiki steel plant and between NNRAK New National Road Athens Kointhos and the sea, thee is an extensive biotope (location of Kalympaki Molos), the main vegetation of which is eeds, whee migatoy bids find shelte. Mountain toent 553

12 Saantapotamos (west of Halyvougiki) and the seasonal steam of Aghios Ioannis (east) also flow into the aea, wheeas an aquife flow is also obseved. The specific aea is systematically degaded; in the past, due to an establishment of land-distubing activities, and cuently because of dedgespoil dumping and the establishment of low polluted activities, [21], [37], [38], [39], [4], [41], [42]. 4. CONCLUSIONS PROPOSALS Ou esults identify the socioeconomic context contibuting to the unsustainable development of Thiasio Plain, an industial aea affected by elevant envionmental poblems that detemined a high fagility of the suounding ual land and examines the coelation between population incease and industial activities togethe with changes in climate. Also focuses on natual ecosystems existing within the envionmentally degaded aea of Thiasio Plain, as well as on thei pospects, as these ae outlined fom the implementation of the geneal uban planning up to now. The diachonic analysis of statistical data at the most detailed esolution (i.e. municipalities and uban disticts) povides insights in the complex tansition fom a system based on agicultue towads a developing egion with conflicts fo land-uses. The oveall esults can be summaized as follows. Thiasio caied the buden of the county s post-wa development with the establishment of activities of all kinds without developing the necessay infastuctues. This fact caused a dastic gowth of population pimaily due to the intenal migation of specialized wokfoce. The exponential establishment of activities esulted also in the degadation of the natual envionment, the abandonment of the pimay secto, the fagmentation of the olive goves, the gadual shinking of new unauthoized agglomeations. The tanspotation pojects developed in the last yeas acceleated the establishment of activities, while exacebating the taffic poblems in the aea. Togethe with the apidly inceasing human pessue, the climate egime of Thiasio shifted towads die conditions with impotant consequences fo the local envionment. Since the egion was classified as a pone aea to land degadation, climate and land-use changes contibute to detemine a highe isk of desetification [32], [33]. 4.1 Policies Planning Envionment The ineffectiveness of planning policies in Thiasio, patly due to a cultue of spontaneity' and planning deegulation, detemined ecological conditions that ae hamful fo the envionment and the well-being of esident population. We also demonstate how this development path led to natual esouce degadation, loss in social cohesion, and uncetain economic gowth. The quality of life and economic development in the bay s communities suffe fom pollution and hazads fom pot and industial activities, as well as fom an uncontolled ubanization that has limited the communal spaces and constained the access to the sea. The envionmental and (un)sustainable development in Thiasio is typical of many othe industial pot and uban aeas in Geece. Simila issues ae common to some South-easten Euope and the EU egions in geneal. Latest envionmental data has shown a shift / fist evidence of de-industialisation of the aea and, at the same time, the establishment of economic units, such as logistics, with lowe emissions. Howeve, apat fom the possible, positive effects of the economic cisis on the envionment (which is a deseving issue that needs futhe eseach), the illustated case study claims fo integated policies in the envionmental, social, and economic dimensions aimed at sustainable management of land in apidly evolving industial egions. Duing 21, a citizen of Aspopygos (D.T. [43]), make a poposal to the local communities. Authos believe that this poposal can contibute to estoation of the local envionment and to a moe effective policy. This poposal suggests: Initiative fo the voluntay amalgamation of municipalities of Thiasio Plain in a single local 554

13 authoity demand that common sense pevail. The aea is a limited and defined geogaphical with common poblems and pospects. Fom the cities of Thiasio, Elefsis is undoubtedly histoical and well known and should be the capital of the aea. With long, illustious histoy and vast cultual heitage is known all aound the wold and can be a local capital that will unite and develop Thiasio. The poposal fo the voluntay amalgamation of Thiasio municipalities is to ceate economies of scale that will make possible a moe efficient administation fo hundeds of thousands of citizens who eithe live o wok in Thiasio. Thiasio could be a model of sustainable development and hamonious coexistence of many diffeent industies, including: manufactuing, pocessing, tanspot & logistics, touism, high technology, tade and leading agicultual / livestock poducts. Pogess equies the development of economies of scale, i.e. equies joining foces. The fate of the Thiasio is common. It is impossible to significantly advanced one of the cities of having next to anothe in deep decline. A second step is the implementation of the official planning fo the aea (Figue 4), with all necessay infastuctues and netwoks. Figue 4. The official planning fo Thiasio Plain municipalities. With dak blue ae spotted industial zones, with ed commecial zones and logistics and with oange clea agicultues zones. A thid step is the potection and estoation of local natual envionment and esouces mainly wate, agicultue and foest ecosystems. Local authoities must deal with isks fom any unusual weathe phenomena acceleate the diffeent scenaios of soil degadation, making the additional measues fo univesal wate esouces management absolutely indispensable. Fo this eason, the study and the implementation of pojects and actions chaacteized as Low Scale Low Cost Low and Less Risk ae poposed fo this egion. Those actions can contibute on flood impact management, to avoid disastes, to deal with dought effects and enich the aquife. Hee ae a numbe of actions suggested instead of an epilogue: Analysis of Meteoological Hydological Chaacteistics and ceation of a database fo the Thiasio Plain and its steams. Ceation of wate esevois in the hydological basin of the Thiasio Plain. Sping wate management. Application of all necessay engineeing actions in ode to enich the aquife (which is a natual esouce) and pevent fom futue disastes. Restoation of ive banks via plantations along the steams. Implementation of potection zones (buffe zones) imposed by law. Use of GIS tools in constantly mapping the poblem and updating the database. 555

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