Air Pollution And Ancient Monuments Is So Famous, But Why?

The Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Yiannis Maniatis, signed a ministerial decision approving a budget of 71,000 euros to finance the action "Investigating and Addressing Environmental Parameters in the Materials of Ancient Monuments".

The action is being implemented in the context of the Green Fund's Financial Assistance Technical Program.

By signing this decision and financing the operation of the Central Measurement Station at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, YPEKA promotes the design to achieve a Network of Measurement Stations for Corrosion and Coating due to Air Pollution.

The Network of Measurement Stations will be gradually developed throughout the country. Initially, the Network will cover the Attica basin and then expand throughout the Territory, focusing on areas of particular historical interest.

The goals of the Network are:

• Investigating the impact of air pollution on selected materials that make up the anthropogenic / structured environment of the country, including materials from historical monuments.
• The acquisition of a technologically and methodologically sound database on the impact of air pollution and climate change on materials in our country, which will enable the adoption of effective deterrent policies.

• To ascertain the socio-economic impact of material deterioration due to air pollution and climate change.
• The use of the Network's results in setting, at national and European level, limits on air quality in relation to material deterioration in urban and non-urban areas.
• Yiannis Maniatis stated in this regard: “Air pollution and climate change are key parameters of environmental damage. One of their consequences is the acceleration of the destruction of monuments, which necessitates the implementation of a Comprehensive plan to protect the country's cultural heritage.

Having proven our sensitivity to the issues of our historical tradition and our cultural heritage, as it is not meant for people without memory, but also for environmental protection, with the Ministerial Decision and the funding of the operation of Corrosion Measuring and Material Coating Stations due to atmospheric pollution, we are taking effective action to protect our historical and cultural monuments. Culture and historical monuments are a comparative advantage of our country for the sustainable development of the country and we must take action to protect our cultural heritage.