Ideas Worth Revisiting & Turning into Action on our Islands
Some ideas stayed with us long after the Towards Resilient Destinations conference. Hosted in Corfu by the Ionian Environment Foundation and the Ionian University, the conference brought together economists, historians, ecologists, conservationists and policymakers from around the world. Yet many of the conversations were rooted in a question that resonates deeply across the Ionian Islands:
What makes a destination truly resilient? What can ancient water systems teach us about water scarcity today? And how do we protect the places that make destinations special without undermining the very qualities that make them unique?
Left to Right: Prof Dimitri Vayanos (LSE), Prof Michael Heinrich (UCL), Dr Gwilym Rowlands (University of Southampton)
“As we revisit the ideas shared during the conference, it is worth recognizing one of the places that inspired many of these conversations: Erimitis, a unique coastal landscape in northeast Corfu. Long before it became a focus of academic discussion and policy debate, local residents, community groups and environmental advocates have been working tirelessly to protect it.
Their efforts remind us that resilience is shaped not only through research and dialogue, but also through persistence, stewardship and civic action.”
John Regan, Strategic Policy Advisor
Elena Papadopoulou, Biologist & Scientific Advisor of Erimitis Plus, Boat Trip to Erimitis
A sincere thank you to all our speakers, partners and participants for the generosity and depth they brought to the discussion. Special thanks to the Ionian University for the collaboration, to Aegean Airlines our travel sponsor, and to the A. G. Leventis Foundation for their generous support.