Since September 2025, the project “Springs of Andros – Participatory Observatory of Springs and Surface Waters” has been approved and is under implementation — an initiative of the Andros Research Center aiming to record and monitor the island’s springs and surface waters. With the participation of citizens and scientists, the project aspires to strengthen knowledge, care, and the sustainable management of Andros’ water resources. The initiative is implemented with the financial support of the Green Fund.
Andros is the most water-rich island in the Cyclades, with dozens of springs, streams, and small wetlands that shape its unique natural and cultural landscape. Today, facing the challenges of climate change, overexploitation of aquifers, and the abandonment of traditional knowledge, the need for systematic documentation and rational water management is more urgent than ever.
🎯 Project Objectives
The project aims to:
systematically map the springs and streams of Andros,
create an open database for monitoring the island’s water resources,
engage the local community through volunteer and educational activities, and
disseminate knowledge through scientific research and cultural documentation.
Key Project Activities
The project’s activities include:
Establishing an Advisory Board, composed of expert scientists and representatives of local authorities, to and provide scientific support for the project.
Installing meteorological stations and recording weather data, in order to document the dynamics of Andros’ microclimate.
Developing a digital platform for recording and publishing data on springs and surface waters.
Conducting a volunteer recruitment and training campaign, enabling volunteers to systematically take measurements and field observations.
Documenting oral testimonies about the springs of Andros, with the aim of preserving and highlighting local knowledge and experience.
Conducting an international literature review on the traditional practice of “spring cultivation” and situating the Andros experience within the broader international context.
Designing an environmental education program for teachers and schools, in collaboration with KEPEA Andros.
Implementing a communication campaign and producing audiovisual material to disseminate the project’s results to the wider public.
Preparing a final report with conclusions and recommendations for local water management policies, based on the project’s data and findings.
💧 A Knowledge Network for the Water of Andros
The “Participatory Observatory of Springs and Surface Waters” aims to become a tool for collective knowledge and action to protect the island’s water resources. Through the collaboration of science and society, Andros is taking a significant step toward a new culture of sustainable water management and fostering environmental awareness.
🔗 More information: androsresearchcenter.org/waterobservatory
The initiative “Springs of Andros: Participatory Observatory of Springs & Surface Waters” is being implemented with the financial support of the Green Fund under the program: “NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE NEUTRALITY 2024, Action 4 – Innovative Actions with Citizens”, with the scientific support of experts in hydrogeology, meteorology, and environmental management.
