The BIP is hosted by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The physical activities of the BIP will be field based, training students on climate change effects on Mediterranean tectonically active landscape, including:

• geomorphic processes connecting tectonic, coastal, karstic landscape,
• geomorphological risks in coastal zone such as storm flood, landslides, coastal erosion,
• nature based solutions (NBS),
• sea level rise,
• adaptation and mitigation strategies

and will also address human-induced impacts. Additionally, students will be introduced to various methods and techniques which will increase their skills.

The BIP will be focused on field activities and new field methods and techniques. In this way, students will be trained more fully, will be exposed to the academic and cultural experience of different universities and countries, will learn new techniques and will acquire more qualifications for the job market.

The virtual part of the BIP will combine online pre-recorded lectures and activities with online instructor-led discussions. The virtual component will give students both the theoretical background about this course, but also will introduce them, virtually, to the study area of the physical mobility. 

The 5-day field part will be held on the island of Kefalonia in Ionian Sea, Greece. The entire area is already affected by climate change, which is obvious from the climate change driven hazards such as the flash flood events, landslides and coastal erosion. The area is also affected by earthquakes and tectonic has played a crucial role to the landscape.

The anthropogenic pressures because of the increase of the touristic activity together with the climate crisis play an important role in the environment. The active geomorphology, the processes including tectonics are amazingly self-explanatory and is a unique example for our students to better understand the landscape evolution and the effect of climate change to landscape response.

The area also gives an excellent opportunity for discussions about adaptation and mitigation strategies and Nature based solutions. Finally, the important karstification of the island together with the coastal lakes will offer a unique opportunity to understand this kind of landscapes and establish discussions about karstic processes and hydrology.

The physical mobility part will be running from 30 June to 4 July 2025 in Cephalonia, Ionian Sea, Greece, and will be divided into two main parts: field activities and the laboratory activities.

The list below indicates the main subjects that will be discussed and the main activities in the field and in the lab:

• karstic landscape, recognition, understanding, methods and techniques used in this type of landscapes.
• tectonically affected landscape and recognition of tectonic features in the field
• coastal erosion and methods
• coastal evolution, coastal processes - mapping and sampling
• coastal geomorphological mapping using GIS tools
• future of lagoons
• palaeogeographical evolution/ reconstruction
• protection of coastal vulnerable environments
• vulnerability
• aerial photography-aerial photogrammetry
• analysing coastline changes/ dynamics based on RTK -GNSS measurements
• analysing data collected in the field
• cross section development
• mapping coastline
• RTK cross sections
• core sampling

Some of the tools/ methods the students will use are: ArcGIS Field Maps, Core analysis, Drone, Photogrammetry, GIS, MIKE or other software, Numerical simulation/ wave propagation, RTK-GNSS, Morphological Mapping, OSL Sampling, ROV.

Τhe virtual component will run between 20 May - 20 July 2025 and will be preparatory to set the basis to better understand the physical part. It will introduce students to the theoretical background on tectonic environments, karstic geomorphic environments, coastal zone processes, landforms and evolution, the theoretical background of climate change and its effects on the coastal Mediterranean landscape.

It will include live presentations but also asynchronous training tools such as multimedia material and recorded lectures. It will also include a virtual fieldtrip by the tutors of the host institution, as well as virtual reality tools to 'visit' in advance the sites included in the physical component. The aim is for the students to be acquainted with the study sites prior to the physical mobility so that, when in the field, more focus will be made on the application and training in methods and techniques. 

Some of the topics covered in this part:

• Climate change and landscape evolution
• Climate change triggered hazards
• Coastal processes and landforms
• Coastal evolution
• Vulnerability based on the geomorphic hazards
• The role of tectonics to the landscape
• Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction
• Introduction to the Kefalonia environment and the evolution of Kefalonia landscape because of tectonics and climate change