As part of its activities, the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation supports innovative initiatives aiming to come up with sustainable solutions to address the challenges related to climate change. In this light, the Foundation supported the implementation of a research project entitled “Effects of Climate Change in the Old City of Chania”, which was completed in October 2022. The aim of the Project has been to raise public awareness about the increasing impact of climate change on the city of Chania by developing an engaging digital tool that visualises the historic port and illustrates the effects of climate change on the city. After carrying out modeling based on coastal data, Augmented Reality (AR) technology was used to create an interactive application with specially designed software that simulates sea-level rise in the port of the old city of Chania and illustrates the relevant effects of climate change.

• 65.8% of the coast of Crete is under erosion.
• The Project is expected to benefit the citizens of the Municipality of Chania, the archaeological services, the research, student and teaching community, as well as local businesses.
• As part of the Project, 2 research papers were presented, while the Project Coordinator participated as a speaker in a conference on climate change, artificial intelligence and cultural heritage.

“The Project focuses on creating an interactive visualisation of the estimated future sea level rise in the coastal area of the old city of Chania, using augmented reality technology. In particular, various sea level rise scenarios have been formulated for up to the year 2100; users are able to select different scenarios, control the year range and activate 3D water simulations on different locations along the area, in order to witness the sea level rise impact on site and in real time. Through the Project, scientific data is communicated to the public in a clear and effective way, offering a captivating experience for understanding and assessing future environmental changes.”

Dr Dorina Moullou
Archaeologist 

“The Project contributes significantly to the local community of Chania, because it provides information on a potential setback in the region, using real data and creating scenarios on sea level rise. There is a clear message that every citizen must understand, which is that climate change is not a distant and theoretical issue, but a concern for each and every one of us. The information is presented in such a way that it is easy to grasp for everyone and it can be used to educate and inform children and adults about the changes in the coastal zone both in the immediate future and later on.”

Dr Lemonia Ragia
Scientific Officer & Coordinator,
ECITO Research Programme