Dimitri Vayanos, Michael Fischer | President & Treasurer of “Save Ios”
An initiative supported by Good Move Initiatives - Interview given to the GMI Blog
-Please introduce yourselves. What is the big idea behind “Save Ios” and what is your main purpose ?
The “Save Ios” Association was founded in 2020 by a team of people who spend time in Ios and feel connected to it. We were getting alarmed by the direction in which the island was developing.
A large part of the island had been bought by a handful companies managed by the same individual, aiming to overdevelop the island. The developments by these companies were marred by illegalities and poor aesthetics, and were causing significant damage to the island’s natural environment.
It hurt us to see the island transformed in that manner, and a number of us gathered and started taking action. Most our members didn’t know each other beforehand. Our main vision is to help steer the island in a good direction, preserving its natural beauty and culture.
-How is the “Save Ios” project particular, compared to other islands’ case studies ?
It is particular because of the monopoly situation in Ios. A handful of companies managed by the same individual own large parts of the island. That individual has huge power on the local community. He can lobby effectively local and even central government, to influence decisions in his favor.
Unfortunately, the economics of land ownership are pushing land away from small owners towards large developers. Real-estate taxes are making land ownership increasingly expensive for the locals. Greek governments are subsidizing large-scale investments in the tourism sector, without regard for long-run sustainability. This is pushing land in the hands of large developers, and can generate monopolies as the case of Ios reveals.
-We read the developer’s interview in Kathimerini. He claims that he is expanding in Ios in the right direction, given that he builds only 1% per 11.000 sq. m making this type of development different to that of Mykonos or Santorini. How do you respond to that ?
His claims are bogus. He does not intend to build in the hills and the mountains of the island, but in its coastline. A zone twenty meters wide along the island’s coastline makes 1% of the island’s surface. Thus, the developer can easily cover the 1% that he claims by building on the entire part of coastline that he owns.
-One would claim that there is nothing wrong with developing with private funds while abiding by the law. How can restrictions be applied to islands ? (i.e. restrict the oligopoly by setting limits ? certain rules per region ?)
With regards to Ios, this individual has shown blatant disregard for the law. He has built many kilometers of roads without a permit, destroying historic paths in the process. He has destroyed a network of streams and a wetland that were protected by a presidential degree. He has built a concrete-made bridge for carries and trucks, which links the island to a nearby islet, destroying in the process the islet’s natural shape. He has obstructed access to beaches, rendering them in effect private. Local authorities have been unable or unwilling to stop him. The icing in the cake is that his companies pay for the accommodation of local policemen and buy boats for the coast guard. There is not much here showing law-abiding behavior.
People can, of course, develop land following the law. There should be, however, tight restrictions on what can be constructed and where. Most islands lack a spatial plan, which would delineate the areas that can be constructed, the areas that must be left undeveloped, and the type of construction that must take place in each area.
The Greek government has started to remedy this situation by assigning the development of spatial plans to private firms. Based on what we are observing in Ios, however, we fear that this process risks being captured by private interests. The end outcome risks being unsustainable development, at odds with EU guidelines and directives. The irony here is that the development of the spatial plans is paid for by EU money – the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
-Kindly mention some of your biggest achievements up to date.
We have some victories that we are proud of. On the legal side, we helped secure the conviction of one of the companies for violations of environmental and building laws in the area of Koumbara-Diakofto, where the concrete bridge has been built. We won the case in the first-degree court of Naxos. The company appealed against the decision, but we won again in the second-degree court of Syros. The company appealed again, but we won in the Supreme Court. This was a huge victory for us. It was one of the first cases in Greece where an environmental crime of this type has resulted in a penal conviction.
The companies are doing a massive amount of greenwashing, claiming that they are pioneers in environmental preservation, while in fact they are destroying the island’s environment. Our court win has dented the image that the companies are cultivating with their large advertising budgets. It has also made the developer to be more cautious in his activities and to not violate environmental laws as blatantly as he used to. It has also helped dispel the impression in the island that the developer always has his way and is invincible.
We are also undertaking initiatives that showcase our vision about sustainable development. We have partnered with environmental organizations MedINA and WWF Greece, with the organization for traditional building techniques Boulouki, and with the Municipality of Ios on a project to build more than a hundred micro-dams on the largest stream in Ios. Micro-dams help enrich underground aquifers, support biodiversity, and mitigate the consequences of floods. They are a technique that has been used in the islands in past centuries, and is being revived.
Cycladic islands face increased water shortages because of the combination of climate change and unchecked tourist development. The situation became dramatic this summer. Scarce water is used to fill swimming pools in luxury hotels, and little is left for farming and livestock. Our micro-dams project will help increase the island’s water supply. Of course, it cannot be a full solution to water shortages.
We also organized an art residency program and invited young artists to stay on the island for two weeks and produce work on the fragility of the Cycladic landscape. We had these works exhibited in Ios during the summer.
Driving awareness on what is happening in Ios is an achievement itself. We have thousands of people following us on social media. Mainstream newspapers occasionally write articles drawing content from our social media posts. We collaborate with like-minded associations in other Cycladic islands. This indicates that we can contribute on a broader scale.
-Is there another island in Greece or abroad where they have successfully combatted anarchy and overdevelopment ?
The island of Hydra, made famous by artists such as Leonard Cohen, has managed so far to keep its traditional character and avoid overdevelopment. Strict regulations have been enforced vigorously.
-What are your biggest challenges on the way and what is your advice to similar movements in other islands ?
One must be systematic. We work all year round rather than only during the summer. We have board meetings every two weeks and follow up on all of our action points.
We are often told that we are not going to achieve anything, and that we should not bother. This is wrong: with systematic effort, one can achieve things. If we were not present, the developer would have continued his destructive activity unchecked. Even a small size organization like ours can make an impact.
A big challenge is to deal with Greek public administration, which is opaque, inefficient and in some cases corrupt. Much of what we are doing should have been done by the administration. This can be frustrating, but we have learned that with small systematic steps we can achieve things.
-Please talk to us about your goals for the near future and how can one contribute to your vision.
One important goal is to influence the spatial plan that is being drafted for Ios. We are teaming up with other organizations to produce guidelines that must be followed when designing spatial plans for Cycladic islands. This spatial plan is very important, because the future development of Ios will depend on this.
Another important goal is to go after important violations of environmental law by the developer, making sure those responsible are punished and the environment is restored. We have an important project in that area, which we will reveal soon.
Related to the spatial plan, we are preparing a proposal for a more sustainable water management system in Ios.
Save Ios Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85PVSaxBuUA
Landscapes of Ios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIyhHFbUay0
Thank you.