Atmospheric pollution and inadequate waste management continue to pose a problem in Athens and other major Greek cities, while the risk of desertification has intensified in the provinces, according to the first study carried out by the National Center for the Environment and Sustainable Development (EKPAA).

The study noted progress in some areas – chiefly in the increased rate of recycling and in a 1 percent drop in the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming – but overall its conclusions were not positive.

The report highlighted rising atmospheric pollution levels and the absence of a comprehensive waste management system in Attica as an enduring problem. Climbing air pollution in other big towns, including Thessaloniki, Patra, Volos and Kozani, was also highlighted.

Another high-ranking concern was dwindling rainfall and the subsequent risk of desertification of more than a 10th of the country’s surface area. The worst affected areas are in the Peloponnese, Thessaly, central Macedonia, Crete and the islands of the Cyclades.

According to EKPAA’s president, Yiannis Ziomas, the protection of the country’s forestland, much of which has been ravaged by fires in recent years, should be another priority for authorities.

Ziomas also stressed the importance of improved water management in agricultural regions such as Thessaly.

EKPAA board member Angeliki Kallia said one of the main reasons that Greece lags behind the European Union in the enforcement of directives aimed at environmental protection is due to “the lack of systematic preparation.” She called for “effective management, cooperation of legal and technical experts for the environment, adequate staffing and the necessary infrastructure for inspections.”