The objective of the present review is to analyze and evaluate the most used and well-performing environmental forest fire danger rating systems and indices globally, aiming to the creation of an integrated forest fire danger system for Greece. The analysis emphasizes the core input parameters that have been associated with forest fire danger (i.e., weather, vegetation, topography, and hydrology) and the computational procedure of each system index as well as the categorization of the output values. Online search engines such as Scopus, Google Scholar, WorldWideScience, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate were used in the search for relevant literature published in scientific journals, manuals, and reports. The retrieved studies were classified and reviewed. Studies were selected for analytically describing the calculation process related to forest fire danger ignition and not being strictly geographically bound. A total of 210 studies were included in the current review, describing 63 forest fire danger systems and indices. These were analyzed and evaluated based on a scoring system. Overall, the top-rated indices were the: Nesterov’s index, Sharples’ index, Keetch and Byram’s drought index, Telicyn logarithmic, and vapor pressure deficit, and the 3rd and the 4th also proved to be the most accurate for fire-prone regions. Remote sensing indices also proved to be promising in forest fire danger estimation.

Escalating urban development in coastal zones is currently noticed in many regions around the globe, leading to unsustainable future pathways. This, among others, accounts for: land and marine ecosystems’ degradation; higher vulnerability to Climate Change impacts; and a largely uneven urban network pattern, raising issues of the ‘coastal vs mainland’ divide that hampers a balanced regional development. This holds true in the case study explored in this work, namely Regional Unit of Corinthia, Region of Peloponnese, Greece. This area, despite its natural and cultural assets and critical location as a transportation node in close proximity to Athens, displays certain spatial imbalances as to the coastal and hinterland urban expansion pattern that are linked also to developmental ones. Monitoring urban development by use of multi-temporal data for built-up areas can advocate the identification/assessment of important spatial dimensions of the aforementioned problems; and guide evidence-based policy decisions. Along these lines, this paper elaborates on the development of a methodology in response to the research question of quantifying urban development trends and assessing the “coastal vs hinterland” divide. This methodology is grounded in high-resolution multi-temporal data processing for built-up areas, provided by the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL); and the estimation of a Coastal vs Hinterland divide Index (CHI). Results highlight the criticality of coastal urban development and the need for an integrated policy, re-directing developmental impulses towards the less privileged hinterland urban constellations; while supporting endogenous development of territorial assets, in order for a more balanced and sustainable urban settlements’ model to emerge.