eOUTLAND’s main output is the expansion of existing civil protection volunteers supporting structures (NSEA and MARITZA) through specialized staffing, equipment, knowledge and cross-border networking. This will to lead to better protection conditions of NATURA 2000 sites and other protected areas of the cross-border region against natural hazards (wildland fires/floods). This directly links to the project’s specific objectives and specifically to its main one; i.e. the enforcement of the cross-border biodiversity resilience of specific protected areas in both countries against disasters linked to natural hazards.

The specific outputs which associate directly to the project’s specific objectives are:

• joint educational/training material for the cross-border civil protection volunteers, ICT tools (e-learning platform, e-documentation center,

• educational applications) and joint events (many-day training events in Greece and Bulgaria, live streaming training and joint pilot/simulation events in both countries and online exam/evaluation/recommendation sessions),

• an established cross-border civil protection volunteers support system including a scientific committee and a roadmap on certification procedures,

• supporting knowledge material including digital mappings, environmental/biodiversity protection studies and safekeeping/surveillance plans for 3 GR and 2 BG protected sites, cross-border environmental/biodiversity vulnerability/risk assessment studies and scientific publications,

• cross-border interoperability tools including a cross-border SWOT analysis, a roadmap of joint operational procedures and a mobile tool for overcoming linguistic barriers,

• operational ICT tools (event detection apps/interactive GIS control center),
equipment including patrolling vehicles/boats, optical drones, personal gear, field/first aid equipment, hardware/software and tablets,

• sustainability material including a feasibility study, a roadmap on future steps, a transferability/replicability report and established certification procedures,

• the communication plan/means,

• the establishment of a cross-border network.

The results of the project are expected to help towards the increase of NATURA areas reporting excellent or good degree of conservation. This result will be achieved by establishing innovative cross-border civil protection volunteers training structures.

Specifically, the expected results are:

• the full scale operation of a joint, well trained and effective civil protection volunteers based system for the conservation of NATURA 2000 sites and other protected areas of the cross-border area, as well as of civilians and properties against natural disasters (wildland fires/floods),

• the joint development of the NSEA and MARITZA structures based on scientifically/technically sophisticated solutions towards a concrete and sustainable cross-border network,

• the establishment of a common/certified cross-border training and support system targeting to environmental/biodiversity protection through the operation of the civil protection volunteers,

• the enhancement of biodiversity and society resilience through promotion and reinforcement of civil protection volunteerism,

• the promotion of public’s awareness and active involvement in aspects of environmental/biodiversity protection and conservation and natural disaster impact management as well,

• the improvement of the operational readiness, capacity and response levels amongst the involved cross-border communities and civil protection volunteers,

• creation of synergies and joint operational procedures in the cross-border area dealing with biodiversity protection against natural disasters and civil protection decision making and managing,

• the sustainability of all project outcomes (educational/training system, scientific/technical solutions, equipment, dissemination and network building) by viably putting into action all produced mechanisms, procedures and tools.

Based on previous experience the results are expected to be successfully achieved within the project’s time frame. There are no delays expected due to the good familiarization of the partners with the official procedures and technical specifications of the proposed activities.