Utilizing Geographic Information Systems to Identify and Map Climate Hazards in Greece: A Regional Analysis

The aim of the present study is the identification of the prevailing climate hazards (e.g., extreme heat, forest fires, drought, floods) and their changes, in terms of frequency, intensity, and trends during multiple 30-year climate reference periods in Greece. The analysis involves the identification of climate hazards using a plethora of extreme event indices along with the application of the extreme value theory (EVT). Changes in extremes over a period are often examined under two different perspectives, one that detects changes in the frequency of the extremes and the other in their intensity. For this purpose, high-resolution reanalyses data (ERA5-Land) are used, with a horizontal resolution of 0.1^o x 0.1^o. The sensitivity of diverse regions was determined through the analysis of Earth Observation data and products, alongside with the examination of their geomorphological features. In the final stage of the work, all of the above were incorporated using Geographic Information Systems, and GIS tools were developed for the synthesis of the climate hazards. This analysis focuses on the understanding of how climate change may be impacting Greece and can provide valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and the general public to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate hazards on a regional scale.