Cite as: Kounani, A., & C. Skanavis, 2018, "Refugee crisis: Greek residents' attitudes towards waste management in their region". Paper presented at the Internatioal Conference Protection and restoration of the environment XIV, organised by Stevens Institute of Technology & Department of Civil Engineering and the Environmental Council, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 3-6 July 2018.
Abstract
Todays' refugee crisis is considered an unceasing challenge of the current century, since the mass exodus of people from their own country has exponentially increased. The consequences of this worldwide phenomenon are much bigger than the actual issue itself. Migrants and refugees flocking into Europe from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, have presented European leaders and policymakers with a heavy task since the debt crisis. Syria is presenting the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of recent years, a continuing cause of suffering for millions of people. This massive immigration is known as the "Middle East Refugee Crisis", and obviously it has affected all the neighboring to Syria, countries including Greece. Refugee movements in such astonishing numbers are prospective to produce rampant, quotidian effects on social, environmental and political sector of the receiving and hosting regions' local community. The purpose of the present research was to explore the knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards waste management and "special waste" management of residents in Lesvos Island, a migrant receiving community. As "special waste" are considered the life jackets, rubber dinghies and fiberglass boats. In the spring of 2017, a questionnaire-based survey was administered on Lesvos Island. Furthermore, the findings revealed the locals' total environmental awareness as well as their perceptions towards refugee crisis that Greece is being confronted with. The issue of waste management is vital in receiving and hosting regions, since the settlement of refugees in regions that don't have the capacity to absorb the pressure of huge influxes is expected to cause social instability and pose a threat to national security.
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