Özgür Ferhat calls for Rodopi Municipalities to join Green Fund program

Rodopi MP Özgür Ferhat of the New Left Party has requested the inclusion of municipalities in the Rodopi region in the Green Fund Program for fire prevention.

Through Ferhat's initiative, the New Left Party's parliamentary group raised the necessity of including Rodopi's municipalities in the fire prevention program funded by the Green Fund.

Ferhat highlighted that Rodopi is a region with a high risk of forest fires, stressing the critical importance of enabling its municipalities to participate in the fire protection program financed by the Green Fund.

The 2024 Green Fund Program, titled "Forest Protection and Improvement," prioritizes municipalities located near forest areas at high risk of fire. However, Rodopi's municipalities have been excluded from this funding. Ferhat has submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister of Energy and Environment, seeking answers to the following:

Why have Rodopi municipalities been excluded from the Green Fund’s financial program?

Does the Ministry plan to take immediate action to include Rodopi municipalities in this funding?

What measures will be taken to ensure that all fire-prone municipalities benefit from similar fire protection programs in the future?

The program aims to create 10-meter-wide fire prevention zones around forests and nearby settlements. The Green Fund’s budget for these efforts is €30 million, with priority given to municipalities in regions such as the Aegean Islands, Crete, the Peloponnese, and Evros. Despite being a high-risk area, Rodopi has been left out of these critical funds.

Ferhat emphasized that Rodopi’s vulnerability to wildfires makes it essential for the municipalities to be included in such funding programs. He urged the Ministry to take immediate action and to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure that all fire-risk municipalities benefit from future programs.