During the last 50 years, the vast majority of European countries have relied on coal and imported carbon-containing fuels to meet their growing electricity demand. Coal is the only fossil fuel in significant reserves across Europe. However, the pressing threat of radical climate change and the looming depletion of fossil fuels necessitate a structural transformation from a conventional centralized fossil fuel-based electricity generation system to an innovative decentralized system based on zero carbon (green) energy resources. In this context, one important issue for communities operating coal-based Thermal Power Stations (TPS) nearing retirement is whether the European Union (EU) policy can ensure a socially just development of the coal mining areas during the coal phase-out. The objective is to avoid a decline in living standards and mass immigration. In response to the EU’s decarbonization policy, the Greek state has recently decided to retire the lignite-based West Macedonia TPS, which has been in operation since the 1970s. Since its establishment in August 1950, the (initially State-controlled) Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC) has undertaken the responsibility to operate the quarries and the six local TPS, offering approximately 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. Over the last 50 years, the extraction of lignite and the operation of the 4500 MW_e TPS of West Macedonia has been the primary economic activity, accounting for nearly 45% of the entire Region’s GDP. While both the Greek state and the EU have prepared and presented plans to financially support local communities and encourage new private and public investments, local citizens remain anxious about their future. The present study investigates the attitude of young scientists towards the forthcoming radical changes linked to the green transition in seriously affected EU Regions, with a focus on West Macedonia. The proposed analysis in West Macedonia reveals the skepticism of young people regarding the speed of the green transition and concerns about significant migration and potential brain drain. On the other hand, the implementation of EU initiatives, including the involvement of young scientists in the planned new green energy-related activities, offers a promising alternative solution. This engagement can lead to the successful integration of local communities into the sustainable and green future envisioned by the EU.

The study of the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus has received increasing attention by the science community and related stakeholders on a worldwide scale, focusing on how these three elements can interact sustainably. Even though many research papers, indices and tools have been recorded, the understanding of interconnection among the elements of the WEF nexus still remains elusive. The aim of this research is to investigate the progress that has been made in the development of methods and tools studying the interconnection between the three resources, namely, water, energy and food. A concise and focused review is carried out, highlighting the parameters and the key stakeholders as evidenced by various approaches. In addition to the optimisation methods and tools that have already been applied in specific problems, special focus is also given to the indicators used in reference to their spatial and temporal dimensions.

Ensuring access to clean water, preserving water reserves, and meeting energy needs are fundamental for sustainability and a priority for global organizations like the UN and EU. The Mediterranean, particularly Greece, faces severe water imbalances due to rising demand, prolonged droughts, and seasonal tourism pressure. This over-exploitation of water resources threatens agriculture, employment, and regional sustainability. Addressing these challenges, this study analyzes the water-energy nexus in high-stress areas and develops an optimization model for sustainable water resource management. The model integrates sectoral demands, energy consumption, and seasonal variability to improve efficiency while balancing economic and environmental constraints. Additionally, it incorporates demand forecasting to align water use with ecosystem sustainability, reducing environmental impacts. By providing a systematic framework for decision-makers, this research supports the development of long-term, resilient water management strategies, ensuring efficient resource allocation in vulnerable regions. The findings will contribute to sustainable water policies and infrastructure planning.

Water is an important resource, critical for life and for various human activities, such as agriculture, industry, tourism and domestic use. However, global water resources are becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change and unsustainable water management practices. In Greece and more particularly in the Greek Aegean islands the problem is very intensive. The pressure on the water resources is caused from the increase of population during summer along with the complete drought during some years. As a result, there is a need for reconsidering the water supply sources as well as an emerging need for sustainable approaches to water resources management. The objective of the present work is at first to provide reliable and up-to-date data concerning water supply and demand in Aegean Greek islands. Accordingly, the sustainability of water resources is analysed in terms of specific indicators. To provide an integrated analysis of the important water sustainability issue, the Greek and European relevant regulatory framework is described and commented.

Recently, the imperative water demand problem of small islands in the South-East Mediterranean area is being faced with the development and operation of new reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants at high operational and environmental cost. One of the most serious RO desalination unit’s problems is their high-energy demand. This water demand coincides with the electricity demand, both peaked during the summer imposing the existing local electrical power stations to operate near their upper limit. For the radical solution of all these critical problems, the water demand profile should systematically be measured along with the existing local water supply potential. Accordingly, the corresponding water production-related electricity consumption is measured. Using the above-described parameters along with the available solar irradiance, the opportunity to support the necessary desalination plants with appropriate photovoltaic (PV) installations is examined. The current work investigates the sizing and the operation of appropriate PV plants used to provide the necessary electricity demand of existing or new RO desalination plants replacing the operation of diesel-based thermal power stations. For the safe and undisturbed operation of the desalination plants, the introduction of small batteries is also examined. The proposed parametric analysis, using several combinations of PV park peak power and battery capacity values, attempts to maximize the clean energy autonomy of a representative desalination plant, minimizing the fossil fuels consumption and the corresponding carbon dioxide emissions, at rational investment cost. The developed numerical algorithm is applied for the Island of Karpathos using real world data and providing very interesting results.