Sustainable reconstruction
In 1963, a devastating landslide buried Mikro Horio, a small village near Karpenisi, killing 13 people and destroying nearly all the houses. Many lives were spared, as it was a Sunday and many of the villagers were at church. The government of the time, led by the late Constantine Karamanlis, responded quickly, dispatching relief aid to the victims. The state supported the reconstruction of Mikro Horio, while the architecture firm of Apostolos Doxiadis hammered out a town plan and four distinct architectural designs. Thus rather than ending up with a cement ghetto (like what happened after the earthquakes in Volos, Cephalonia and Zakynthos), the damaged area was transformed into a model village, featuring traditional stone houses and all the necessary infrastructure. Today, Mikro Horio is a major tourist attraction. The wounds left by the devastating fires in the Peloponnese will only be remedied and the inhabitants return to their homes – and their rural livelihoods – if the reconstruction work pledged by the government is carried out on the basis of a thorough and sustainable architectural and town plan and not in an anarchic fashion based on unchecked and party monitored handouts. Ileia, Arcadia, Messinia and Evia must follow the example of Evritania. There is no shortage of scientists and funds but it will take a good dose of political will. The state has the money to help; our EU peers are about to approve extra funds while more than 150 million euros has flowed in in private donations. There is no excuse for spending the money on makeshift constructions. Economy Minister Giorgos Alogoskoufis has already requested a special plan for the reconstruction and growth of fire-ravaged areas. He must start with urban planners and architects.
