Chalki and Sint Maarten islands, the Asian Development Bank, the European Desalination Society, the Observatory on Tourism for Islands Economy, the Hellenic Small Islands Network, and the International Geothermal Association.
Greening the Islands is glad to announce new members of the GTI Observatory which will bring incredible value to the whole project: Chalki and Sint Maarten islands, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Desalination Society (EDS), the Observatory on Tourism for Islands Economy (OTIE), the Hellenic Small Islands Network (HSIN), and the International Geothermal Association (IGA). While more details will be available on the GTI website, let’s find out who the new members are.
Entry Island Member – Chalki is a small Greek island off the west coast of Rodi, best known for secluded beaches and hiking trails. Chalki has recently established its own energy community, titled ChalkiOn. In parallel with this, the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy has launched the project “Chalki – Green Island”, combining several actions to take the island to a higher sustainability level and provide an example for similar islands to follow. Among the others, the project foresees the installation of a 1MWp PV plant to provide direct benefits to the energy bills of ChalkiOn’s members, the installation of a cluster of e-vehicles charging stations and the donation of a small fleet of e-vehicles to the local authorities with privileged discount rates for the purchase of e-vehicles for the islanders, and the installation of 5G network and free WiFi for the entire settlement, IoT applications and educational and health related activities over the internet. Additionally, Chalki is the first island to join the GR-Eco network, from which a large amount of support will come to implement the majority of development projects.
Entry Island Member – Sint Maarten is country territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands part of a Caribbean island shared with Saint Martin, a French overseas collectivity, with natural features spanning lagoons, beaches and salt pans. Joining the GTI Observatory is the Nature Foundation, a non-profit organization located on the island of St. Maarten aiming to preserve and enhance the natural environment of the island, in the present moment and for generations to come. It manages the Man of War Shoal National Marine Park, established in 2010 and the only designated marine protected area in St. Maarten, which boasts an abundance and variety of dive spots, habitats, and wildlife.
Asian Development Bank – ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty in the region. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance. ADB maximizes the development impact of its assistance by facilitating policy dialogues, providing advisory services, and mobilizing financial resources through co-financing operations that tap official, commercial, and export credit sources. The ADB will take part in the GTIO Strategy Scientific Committee and enter the GTIO task force on sustainable tourism with a focus on Maldives.
EDS – The European Desalination Society is a Europe-wide organization for individual and corporate members including universities, companies, research institutes, government agencies and all concerned with and interested in desalination and membrane technologies for water.
It is a society uniting all interested in promoting desalination, water reuse and water technology. All processes are covered and the wide range of roles and activities involved in the desalination field are included: research, applications, consulting, contracting, operation and maintenance, manufacturing, marketing, economics, legislation. Members are welcome from other regions outside Europe. EDS will take part into the GTIO task force on RES, water recycling & desalination hybrid systems.
OTIE – The aim of the Observatory on Tourism for Islands Economy is to draw up statistical surveys and to produce research documents on tourism in islands. The activities of the Observatory are focused on updating the Databank on Insular Tourism, creating a Documentation Centre on the islands, conducting studies and research work, organizing forums and seminars and participating in European projects on cooperation and social development. It offers its support in devising strategies and marketing plans on tourism, based on insular realities. OTIE enters the GTI Observatory as member of the Island Advisory Committee and subscribed an agreement to become a strategic partner also for the activities of dissemination of good practices and promotion of a favorable policy framework.
HSIN – The Hellenic Small Islands Network is a nonprofit organization established from representatives of small islands municipalities local governments, social institutions and individuals. The goal and vision of the Network is avoiding of isolation and every kind of exclusion for that islands, through their sustainable development. It comprises 48 small Greek islands. HSIN will enter the GTIO Island Advisory Committee and has subscribed a broader agreement to be involved in dissemination of good practices and promotion of a favorable policy framework.
IGA – The International Geothermal Association is the leading global platform on geothermal energy. With its four pillars Visibility, Sustainability, Partnerships and Authority, it is committed to push geothermal as a gamechanger for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 providing affordable, clean, baseload energy for all. The IGA connects the Global Geothermal Community, serving as a hub for networking opportunities aimed at promoting and supporting global geothermal development. With industry partners the IGA sets standards, mature the technology agenda and nurture entrepreneurs engaged in clean technology. GTI and IGA will create a new Task Force on geothermal energy in islands and the relative workshop at the GTI e_Convention on 19-21 October.
