The Municipality of Nicosia, as a partner in the Edu4Climate, engaged with students during the University of Cyprus Youth Fair held on 23 April 2026 in Nicosia, using the event to communicate project results on air quality and climate change and raise awareness within the student community.
During the event, municipal officers interacted with more than 300 university students, presenting key topics addressed by the Edu4Climate project, including the importance of tackling climate change and improving urban air quality at the local level.
More specifically, officers shared insights derived from Edu4Climate project outputs, including information on urban air quality monitoring, climate change mitigation actions, and how local nature-based solutions such as urban greenery contribute to improved environmental conditions. They also explained the air quality data collection process led by The Cyprus Institute and how the Municipality of Nicosia supports this initiative through the air quality signpost in Aglantzia, which provides live air quality information.
This event marks one of the initiatives taken by the Municipality of Nicosia, in collaboration with CARE-C of the Cyprus Institute, to inform and educate the public about air pollution and climate change, one of the main objectives of the Edu4Climate project.
On the 30th of April 2026, CARE-C Research Fellow Anna Zenonos represented the Edu4Climate project at the “sCYence Fair” organised by The Cyprus Institute.
As part of the activities performed by The Cyprus Institute to raise awareness in the student community about the importance of taking measures to protect the environment Ms Zenonos prepared an interactive activity demonstrating how trees help reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere and improve air quality.
The activity aimed to help students understand the role of trees in carbon capture and climate change mitigation and how reforestation and urban greenery can reduce atmospheric CO2.
The activity also strengthens public awareness efforts on the importance of studying air pollution and climate change.
Between 26 March and 22 April 2026, the Municipality of St. Nicolaos, in collaboration with the University of Crete, held a series of daily presentations to schools and universities covering topics related to the environment and air pollution, under the objectives of Edu4Climate.
The presentations’ main topic revolved around climate change and air quality, aiming to inform and engage students. A positive response was given by the students, with a lot of interest in the topics discussed.
In total, 3 presentations were given to secondary education schools (1st General High School of St. Nicolaos, 2nd General High School of St. Nicolaos, 1st Technical School of St. Nicolaos) and two presentations were given to universities (The Advanced (Higher) School of Tourism Education of Crete (ASTEK), Hellenic Mediterranean University).
The aforementioned activities were also shared with the local press, thereby promoting the results and raising social awareness.
The 4th Autumn School, co-organised by the University of Crete and the Municipality oF Ayios Nicolaos, entitled ‘Advanced Atmospheric Observations, Data Mining & Modelling‘, which took place on 22-26 September 2025, has been successfully concluded.
The week-long course took place at the Hellenic Mediterannean University campus in Ayios Nicolaos, Greece and and 12 students took part. The students had the opportunity to visit some of the University of Crete’s facilities, such as the Finokalia Atmospheric Observatory and they were also offered theoretical and hands-on training on atmospheric observations, data analysis and modelling.
This Autumn School was organized within the framework of the Horizon Europe project Edu4Climate. Course organization was led by the University of Crete and the Munipicality of Ayios Nicolaos, with the contribution of the Edu4Climate Consortium partners.
Researchers from CARE-C at the Cyprus Institute took part in Car-Free Day on 22 September 2025, held on Kyrineias Street in Aglantzia, Nicosia, as part of the European Mobility Week celebrations, organised by the Municipality of Nicosia.
Associate Research Scientist Dr. Spyros Bezantakos and Graduate Research Fellow Ms. Anna Zenonos engaged with citizens attending the event, sharing information on air quality, climate change, as well as relevant actions undertaken by CARE-C in collaboration with the Municipality of Nicosia to monitor air quality in the area.
More specifically, a real-time air quality signpost has been installed on Kyrineias Street in Aglantzia, while sensors measuring the air quality levels have been placed at a local nursery school, a nursing home, a government building, and the municipal swimming pool.
This is part of a series of activities jointly organised by CARE-C and the Municipality of Nicosia, aimed at raising awareness and educating citizens about air pollution and climate change, within the context of the Edu4Climate project.
You can find out more information about the signpost here.
This project is funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe (project no: 101071247)
On 19 March 2025, an awareness event on air quality was held for the residents of Aglantzia Elderly Home, within the context of the Edu4Climate European program. The program is coordinated by the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) of the Cyprus Institute, in collaboration with the Municipality of Nicosia and other European partners.
Representing the Mayor of Nicosia, the Deputy Mayor of Aglantzia, Andreas Constantinou, addressed the residents, emphasising the importance of this initiative. On behalf of the Cyprus Institute, CARE-C Associate Research Scientist, Dr. Michalis Pikridas gave a presentation on key sources of air pollution in Cyprus and its impact on human health.
As part of the Edu4Climate program, sensors measuring air quality have been installed at four locations in Aglantzia, including the Aglantzia Elderly Home. These sensors measure fine and coarse particulate matter—key indicators of air quality—which are linked to the effects of air pollution on human health.
This event marks the beginning of a series of activities organised by CARE-C of the Cyprus Institute in collaboration with the Municipality of Nicosia, aimed at raising awareness and educating citizens about air pollution and climate change.
This project is funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe (project no: 101071247)
A new study, led by Ms Anna Zenonos, Graduate Research Fellow and PhD student at CARE-C of the Cyprus Institute, has utilised high-resolution aerial imagery and artificial intelligence (AI), by developing a deep learning neural network model to map and count the number of trees in selected areas in Cyprus. This research creates the basis of establishing the first national tree-level inventory of Cyprus using airborne remote-sensing, an essential tool for effective carbon stock assessment and land-based mitigation strategies.
Trees play a vital role in combating climate change by absorbing CO₂ and providing cooling effects. However, in Cyprus—a climate change hotspot facing intensified forest fires and arid conditions—effective land-based mitigation efforts have been hindered by the lack of a comprehensive tree monitoring system. To address this gap, researchers of CARE-C, in collaboration with the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE) in France and the University of Copenhagen, in Denmark, have adapted a deep learning neural network, which was previously applied in Denmark and Finland, to analyze 10 cm-resolution airborne images from 2019. The study mapped tree crowns and counted individual trees across 107 square kilometres, including Troodos National Forest Park, Athalassa Forest Park in the capital city, and a small urban area.
Nearly one million trees were identified in Troodos Forest Park alone—an estimate that wouldn’t have been feasible without remote sensing and AI-powered analysis. This research sets the stage for Cyprus’ first national tree-level inventory, enabling more precise forest carbon stock assessments.
A demonstration video showcasing the map’s features can be viewed here: Watch the video
This research has been conducted within the context of the Edu4Climate project, funded by the European Commission.
Reference: Zenonos, A., Li, S., Brandt, M., Sciare, J., & Ciais, P. (2025). AI-powered estimation of tree covered area and number of trees over the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Frontiers in Remote Sensing, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2025.1498217
The 3rd Autumn School, organised by CARE-C of the Cyprus Institute, entitled “Drones and Sensors in Atmospheric Sciences”, which took place on 11 November to 15 November 2024, has been successfully concluded.
The week- long course took place at the Cyprus Institute’s premises in Nicosia, Cyprus and it was attended by 14 students from 14 different countries including Lebanon, Finland, India, Portugal, Pakistan and other.
The main focus of this year’s Autumn School was the operation and scientific exploitation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sensor systems in atmospheric sciences. The students had the opportunity to visit some of the Centre’s facilities such as the Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory (USRL) UAV airfield and the Ayia Marina Xyliatou station of the Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory, where they learned more about atmospheric data measurements through the Centre’s bespoke UAVs and ground-based instruments. They were also offered theoretical and hands-on training on the technical operation of sensors in the lab as well as computer-based data processing.
This Autumn School was organized within the framework of the H2020 Teaming Project EMME-CARE (emme-care.cyi.ac.cy), and the Horizon Europe project Edu4Climate (edu4climate.cyi.ac.cy). Course organization was led by CARE-C, The Cyprus Institute, with the contribution of the EMME-CARE Advanced Partners and the Edu4Climate Consortium partners.
Numerous members of CARE-C at the Cyprus Institute played a key role in the success of the international conference on the ‘Climate Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East’ held from September 26-28, 2024, at Radisson Beach, in Larnaca, Cyprus. Organized by the Cyprus Institute and the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts, the event brought together prominent scientists and policymakers from 22 countries to discuss scientific data and explore strategies for adaptation and mitigation in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region. The conference attracted over 250 participants.
The Director of CARE-C, Prof. Jean Sciare, alongside distinguished partners of the EMMECARE teaming project—Prof Philippe Ciais, Prof. Jos Lelieveld, and Prof. Markku Kulmala—led a panel session titled ‘The Evolving Climate Crisis: The Scientific Basis.’ The session highlighted the key climate challenges facing the EMME region, including air pollution, extreme heat, and the role of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. The panelists also explored potential solutions to these crucial issues.
‘The Evolving Climate Crisis: The Scientific Basis’ panel session
In another panel session, Assoc. Prof. Panos Hadjinicolaou and Dr. George Zittis discussed the impacts of extreme events such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods on public health, providing valuable insights into the growing risks these phenomena pose to the region.
‘Extreme Events (Heatwaves, Droughts, Floods etc and Health)’ panel session
Additionally, Dr. Marco Neira, Dr. Kamil Erguler, and Prof. Jos Lelieveld organized a pre-conference workshop on 24-25 September, 2024, titled ‘Climate and Health in the Urban Environment’. This event brought together 21 researchers, from eight different countries, to discuss recent scientific advances on the health effects of extreme temperatures, air pollution, and vector-borne diseases.
‘Climate and Health in the Urban Environment’ workshop
Prof. Costas Cartalis and Assoc Prof. Panos Hadjinicolaou also led a workshop on 25 September, 2024 on ‘Urban Overheating in the Mediterranean and the Middle East-North Africa.’ This workshop gathered climate science experts from the region to present and discuss scientific progress in the monitoring, analysis, and prediction of the urban heat island and mitigation strategies of its associated impacts and it included contributions from Action 2.3 ‘Climate Crisis and Urban heat Island’ of the CLIMPACT project in Greece (‘National Network for Research on Climate Change and its Impacts’). CARE-C researchers and PhD students participated in both workshops.
Finally, Dr. Marco Neira co-ordinated the conference’s poster session, which featured contributions from CARE-C researchers and PhD students. Notable presentations included:
Dr. Kamil Erguler’s poster on ‘VEClim – An Early Warning Support System for Climate-Sensitive Vector-Borne Diseases’.
Dr. Marco Neira’s work on ‘Effects of Climate Change on Environmental Suitability for Dairy Cattle: Predictions from a High-Resolution Analysis’.
Mr. Andreas Karpasitis’ work on ‘Precipitation Projections and Variability Changes in North Africa Based on the CMIP6 Ensemble’.
Mr. Frangeskos Kekkou’s poster on ‘Health Impacts of Extreme Temperature Events: A Mortality and Hospitalization Study in Cyprus (2004-2019)’.
Ms. Konstantina Koutroumanou-Kontosis’ research on ‘Statistical Downscaling of CMIP6 Models to the Urban Scale: A Case Study for Athens, Greece, within the CLIMPACT Project.’.
Ms. Alkistis Papetta’s poster on ‘Integrating UAV-Based In-Situ and Ground-Based Remote Sensing Observations for Enhanced Aerosol Profiling.’
Ms. Aayushi Shama’s research on the ‘Detection of Usutu Virus and Culex pipiens molestus in Targeted Mosquito Surveillance Collections from Cyprus.’
‘Effects of Climate Change on Environmental Suitability for Dairy Cattle: Predictions from a High-Resolution Analysis’ by Dr Neira
‘Precipitation Projections and Variability Changes in North Africa Based on the CMIP6 Ensemble’ by Mr Karpasitis
‘Integrating UAV-Based In-Situ and Ground-Based Remote Sensing Observations for Enhanced Aerosol Profiling’ by Ms Papetta
‘Statistical Downscaling of CMIP6 Models to the Urban Scale: A Case Study for Athens, Greece, within the CLIMPACT Project’ by Ms Koutroumanou-Kontosis
‘Health Impacts of Extreme Temperature Events: A Mortality and Hospitalization Study in Cyprus (2004-2019)’ by Mr Kekkou
‘Detection of Usutu Virus and Culex pipiens molestus in Targeted Mosquito Surveillance Collections from Cyprus’ by Ms Shama
‘VEClim – An Early Warning Support System for Climate-Sensitive Vector-Borne Diseases’ by Dr Erguler
You can find more details about the conference here.
The conference is supported by the EMME-CARE and the Edu4Climate projects.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 856612 and the Cyprus Government
Two open-doors events were organised at the Finokalia station in Crete.
The Finokalia atmospheric monitoring station is operated by the Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory (ECPL) of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Crete since 1993. The station is representative for the Eastern Mediterranean atmosphere and has attracted strong scientific attention in the fields of atmospheric composition, air quality and climate change. It also reports to authorities as the regional background station for Greece.
People of all ages visited the Finokalia station and were welcomed by University of Crete personnel. Visitors were introduced to atmospheric measuring techniques and were presented briefly the achievements and main scientific findings.
