Administrative associate
O.Kitsou@itia.ntua.gr
+30-2107722845
Maintenance, upgrading and extension of the Decision Support System for the management of the Athens water resource system
Duration: October 2008–November 2011
Budget: €72 000
Project director: N. Mamassis
Principal investigator: D. Koutsoyiannis
This research project includes the maintenance, upgrading and extension of the Decision Support System that developed by NTUA for EYDAP in the framework of the research project “Updating of the supervision and management of the water resources’ system for the water supply of the Athens’ metropolitan area”. The project is consisted of the following parts: (a) Upgrading of the Data Base, (b)Upgrading and extension of hydrometeorological network, (c) upgrading of the hydrometeorological data process software, (d) upgrading and extension of the Hydronomeas software, (e) hydrological data analysis and (f) support to the preparation of the annual master plans
Investigation of management scenarios for the Smokovo reservoir
Duration: November 2005–December 2006
Budget: €60 000
Commissioned by: Special Directorate for the Management of Corporate Programs of Thessaly
Contractor: Department of Water Resources, Hydraulic and Maritime Engineering
Project director: D. Koutsoyiannis
Principal investigator: N. Mamassis
Programme: Επιχειρησιακά Σχέδια Διαχείρισης Δικτύων Σμοκόβου
Integrated Management of Hydrosystems in Conjunction with an Advanced Information System (ODYSSEUS)
Duration: July 2003–June 2006
Budget: €779 656
Commissioned by: General Secretariat of Research and Technology
Contractor: NAMA
Collaborators:
Project director: D. Koutsoyiannis
Principal investigator: A. Andreadakis
Programme: ΕΠΑΝ, Φυσικό Περιβάλλον και Βιώσιμη Ανάπτυξη
The project aims at providing support to decision-making processes within the direction of integrated management of water resource systems at a variety of scales. Several methodologies and computing tools are developed, which are incorporated into an integrated information system. The main deliverable is an operational software package of general use, which is evaluated and tested on two pilot case studies, concerning hydrosystems in Greece with varying characteristics (Karditsa, Dodecanesus). The end-product of the project is a software system for simulation and optimisation of hydrosystem operation, as well as a series of separate software applications for solving specific problems, aiming at producing input data to the central system or post-processing of the results. The project includes eleven work packages, eight for basic research, two for industrial research and one for the pilot applications.
G.-F. Sargentis, R. Ioannidis, P. Dimitriadis, N. Malamos, O. Lyra, O. Kitsou, M. Kougia, N. Mamassis, and D. Koutsoyiannis, Energy Self-Sufficiency in Rural Areas; Case Study: North Euboea, Greece, Advances in Environmental and Engineering Research, 5 (4), 20 pages, doi:10.21926/aeer.2404025, 2024.
The modern globalized civilization is sustained by interactions, trade, the transportation of goods, and energy. Energy self-sufficiency is crucial in rural and disaster-prone areas like North Euboea because dependence on external energy supplies can leave regions vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, price volatility, and geopolitical risks. In such isolated regions, energy independence ensures resilience in natural disasters and economic instability. The alternative to self-sufficiency often involves reliance on centralized energy systems, fossil fuels, or external imports, which may not always be reliable or sustainable. Therefore, in this study, we explore the possibility of an area having energy self-sufficiency. As a case study, we chose North Euboea in Greece, explicitly focusing on the Municipality of Mantoudi-Limni-Agia Anna. The analysis combines local land use patterns, energy needs for inhabitants, agriculture and water requirements. It is followed by exploring various renewable energy sources, including hydropower, biomass, solar, and wind. We considered the stochastic nature of renewable energy production and the challenges associated with energy storage. The findings suggest that while wind turbines and solar panels could be installed in the area and contribute significantly to energy needs, achieving complete self-sufficiency requires careful planning, particularly regarding energy storage and the social acceptance of these installations. The results highlight the need for a holistic approach that integrates environmental, landscape, societal, and technical considerations in designing and implementing renewable energy systems. Additionally, it is highlighted that the available renewable energy from forest biomass (before the 2021 megafire event) could reliably and adequately meet the area's energy needs without requiring investments in photovoltaic parks and wind turbines and without competing with the use of agricultural land.
Full text: http://www.itia.ntua.gr/en/getfile/2514/1/documents/aeer.2404025.pdf (2020 KB)
K. Moraiti, S. Sigourou, P. Dimitriadis, R. Ioannidis, I. Benekos, T. Iliopoulou, O. Kitsou, N. Mamassis, D. Koutsoyiannis, and G.-F. Sargentis, Documenting the changing floodplain of Nileas Basin in North Euboea (Greece) before and after Storms Daniel and Elias, Rural and Regional Development, 2 (3), 10013, doi:10.35534/rrd.2024.10013, 2024.
The area of north Euboea is characterized by its intense relief, dense hydrographic network, and rich flora and fauna. In the mid-2010s, the region was struck by a plane tree disease that withered the large population of plane trees in the area, while in 2021, a large wildfire completely burned the forest. These unfortunate events depleted the landscape’s natural ability to manage and mitigate flood phenomena. Observing the landscape’s vulnerability to floods, in April 2023, we conduct on-site field inspections in the rivers of the area. In September 2023, a major flood hit the area, causing in dramatic changes to the landscape. Therefore, in November 2023, we conducted follow-up on-site field inspections in the area, in order to trace the differences, present the damages the phenomenon left behind. These inspections allowed to document the landscape changes from the combination of all previous events and identify any associated pathologies. Site visits and comparisons before and after the Daniel/Elias storm revealed dramatic changes in the riverbed width at lower altitudes, significant sediment accumulation in the Voudouros River delta, alterations in the natural landscape along the river and its floodplain, destruction of the arable land, and road collapses in several locations.
Full text: http://www.itia.ntua.gr/en/getfile/2465/1/documents/df859480db58f57a93db8ae1fd1e29cf.pdf (1896 KB)
Additional material:
G.-F. Sargentis, N. Mamassis, O. Kitsou, and D. Koutsoyiannis, The role of technology in the water–energy–food nexus. A case study: Kerinthos, North Euboea, Greece, Frontiers in Water, 6, 1343344, doi:10.3389/frwa.2024.1343344, 2024.
The water–energy–food (WEF) nexus is a basic element of prosperity, yet it is not equally distributed on the land. Human progress has optimized the function of the WEF nexus to bridge the inequality gap. In order to understand this progress, this study compares the preindustrial and modern agricultural practices in an area in Greece. Interviews were conducted with an elderly man who lived in the 1950s, and the process was quantified in units of WEF. The same procedure was also carried out with modern farmers for modern agricultural practices. In comparing the past and present agricultural processes, it is observed that today, a farmer can feed approximately 100 times more people. This feat has been achieved as modern practices push the land with energy sources in multiple ways (fuels and fertilizers). However, energy indices such as energy ratio, net energy gain, specific energy, and energy productivity do not seem to be improved. Furthermore, farmers prefer to pump underground water for irrigation, instead of utilizing the nearby river, as was done in the past when the river provided both energy to the watermill and an abundance of water for irrigation. In addition, as the price of wheat is dependent on the stock market, even in 2023, there are risks to food security, the cultivation of wheat was not economically efficient for farmers in this area in 2023.
Full text: http://www.itia.ntua.gr/en/getfile/2442/1/documents/frwa-06-1343344.pdf (4149 KB)