Climate Change and Risk Management in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East

Costas N. Papanicolas is a distinguished nuclear physicist and the Founding President of The Cyprus Institute (serving from 2008 to 2022). He is currently the CEO of the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation (CREF). Papanicolas earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from MIT and has held faculty positions at the University of Illinois and the University of Athens. His research expertise covers nuclear and particle physics, solar energy, and climate policy. He serves as the Advisor to the President of Cyprus on Climate Change and is a founding member of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and the Arts. For his contributions to science and international cooperation, he was awarded the Medal of Excellence for Service to the Cyprus Republic and the title of Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy.Marco Neira is an expert in medical entomology and environmental health and serves as an Associate Research Scientist at The Cyprus Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and an M.A. in International Affairs from Ohio University, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Florida and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. His career has included roles as Senior Scientist at Oxitec Ltd, contributing to genetic control strategies for disease vectors, and as Full Professor and Principal Investigator at the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Ecuador. His current work examines the links between climate change and One Health, and he helps coordinate the EMME Climate Change Initiative. A member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Sciences, he has published extensively on the physiology, molecular biology and control of disease vectors, virus–arthropod interactions, and the impacts of climate change on human and animal health.Thanasis Hadzilacos is widely recognized for his scholarly contributions to information systems and educational technology. He currently serves as a Senior Researcher and Visiting Professor at the Department of Maritime Transport and Commerce at Frederick University. Previously, he was a Professor at the Open University of Cyprus (2007–2021), where he served on the University Board. Educated at Harvard University and the University of Patras (Ph.D. in Database Theory), his career includes tenures as Dean at the Hellenic Open University and Director at the Computer Technology Institute (CTI) in Greece. He is highly recognized for managing the "Odysseia" project, which revolutionized the use of ICT in schools. His research focuses on database theory, distance learning, and system design for non-standard applications, supported by over 100 published papers.Jos Lelieveld is a world-renowned atmospheric chemist and Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, where he led the Atmospheric Chemistry Department from 2000 to 2025. He also holds the title of Institute Professor at The Cyprus Institute, where he leads research on climate and environmental prediction. Lelieveld earned his Ph.D. from Utrecht University under Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen. His pioneering research focuses on the self-cleaning capacity of the atmosphere, ozone photochemistry, and the global health impacts of air pollution. He has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and is a member of the Leopoldina (German National Academy of Sciences). In 2025, he was awarded the prestigious Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Prize for his excellence in science-based policy advice.

• Chapter 1. Climate Change and Risk Management in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle EastChapter 2. The Built EnvironmentChapter 3. HealthChapter 4. Agriculture and the Food ChainChapter 5. Education and Outreach: The Role of Formal and Nonformal Education Initiatives in Enhancing Climate Awareness and Promoting Sustainable PracticesChapter 6. MigrationChapter 7. TourismChapter 8. Cultural Heritage and the Climate Crisis: Revisiting and Reframing the Challenge