Tradition comes alive once more in Sifnos through the dry-stone check dams! On Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 18:00, at the Sifnos Cultural Center “Marianthi Símou”, MedINA is organizing the event “Revitalizing Traditional Knowledge: Dry-Stone Check Dams and Sustainable Water Management in Sifnos”, under the auspices of the Municipality of Sifnos.
MedINA is reintroducing the traditional practice of dry-stone check dams in Sifnos as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) to the challenges posed by climate change. Dry-stone check dams (constructed using dry-stone walling techniques with locally sourced, unprocessed stone) represent a time-honored water management method that serves multiple functions for both the environment and people: By retaining part of the water during periods of heavy rainfall, they enhance the aquifer recharge, mitigate flood risk, collect water for irrigation purposes, and support biodiversity.
The event will be honored by the presence of the Mayor of Sifnos, Ms. Maria Nadali. During the event, the local community will be informed in detail about the upcoming construction of 120 dry-stone check dams in two selected streams on the island, and the benefits this initiative can bring both to the natural environment and the island’s agricultural productivity. In addition, the site planning study for the dry-stone check dams will be presented, along with best practices from similar projects in ephemeral streams, through the approach of BOULOUKI, Itinerant Workshop on Traditional Building Crafts.
See the detailed event agenda here.
The event is part of the CARDIMED project and is open to all interested stakeholders and residents of Sifnos, as well as to experts and scientists in the fields of water management, environmental conservation, and traditional construction techniques.
The CARDIMED (Climate Adaptation and Resilience Demonstrated in the MEDiterranean region) project, with a total budget of 19,971,411.20 euros, is funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe 2021-2027. The lead partner is the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens and MedINA is one of the 53 implementing partners.