Valasia Iakovoglou

Title : BS963-protect-streams-4-sea: A collaborative effort for a clean Black Sea.

Abstract:

Efforts have been made to improve the conditions of the Black Sea, since it is considered one of the most degraded regional closed seas. Nonetheless, not much research has been conducted on the input of streams and rivers as major sources of sediment and litter pollutants. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are cost-efficient ways, while providing environmental, economic and social benefits.  Further, the presented study is targeting the Black Sea region and is aiming in estimating the effect of land use alteration on the surface erosion based on erosion pin measurements. Four were the studied land uses: rangeland, agricultural land, schlerophylous vegetation and riparian vegetation areas at the study area of the Aggitis basin, Greece. It was hypothesized that nature’s “nature-based” examples, like the riparian areas, would indicate the lease soil loss. Indeed, based on the data, riparian areas, were the ones contributed the least sediments compared to the other land uses. This shows that mimicking nature and implementing “nature-based” solutions at the local and watershed scale favors reduction of soil pollutants.

Audience Take Away Notes

• How the cooperative program works for the Black Sea region
• Understand the input of nature-based solutions.
• Sustainable management requires the understanding of nature.

Biography:

Dr. Valasia Iakovoglou is a distinct graduate of Iowa State University with more than 20-yrs of national/international research and teaching experience as an Ecophysiologist/Silviculture expert in seedling production and Restoration/Conservation of Ecosystems with emphasis on Biodiversity under the challenges of Climate Change. She has received numerous scholarships, awards and recognitions. She is an editor and reviewer in more than twenty peer-revied Journals with one of them being the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She has more than 100 publications (such as books/book chapters and peer-reviewed scientific papers). She is active in many scientific societies such as the Mediterranean Experts of Climate and environmental Change (MedECC) and associations such as the “Association of Inter-Balkan Woman’s Cooperation Societies (AIWCS)” of UNESCO Center, where she is the Secretary General Board Member. Since 2018 she is the Director of the Ecotourism Sector of the UNESCO chair Con-E-Ect.