Fighting pollution through digital innovation and citizen engagement in Ioannina

Through data collection and behavioural change, the Greek city strives to ensure clean air and preserve its lake ecosystem

The Greek tourist city of Ioannina, located in the Epirus region, is rapidly growing. At the same time, it faces the pressing challenge of pollution, which threatens both its inhabitants and the fragile ecosystem of the popular Lake Pamvotida.

A suggestive sunset view of Lake Pamvotida Ioannina

How can the environment be protected while ensuring that people can breathe clean air?

When the Municipality of Ioannina joined the CLIMABOROUGH project, its primary need was to collect data, monitor the environment and understand how human activities affect the lake. Evidence-based insights would support strategic decision-making and encourage behavioural change among tourists, residents, local businesses and other stakeholders, with the aim of minimising greenhouse gas emissions and protecting Ioannina’s greatest natural asset: its lake.

The engagement challenge

The process began with the engagement of all relevant stakeholders, including politicians and local institutions—such as the Lake Management Authority, the local university, the Region of Epirus, the Technical Chamber of Greece, and the Decentralised Administration of Epirus–Western Macedonia—to discuss the project’s potential. However, while citizens were calling for a healthier environment, politicians initially struggled to fully understand the value of the initiative. Even after expressing their support, collaboration across governance levels proved challenging, with the municipality seeking potential solutions from the national government.

Citizen engagement

Citizen engagement is essential: without active participation, behavioural change cannot be achieved. Ioannina organised workshops and cycling tours to involve not only residents, but also hotels and farmers. A comprehensive communication campaign was implemented, including the distribution of leaflets, co-organised events, newsletters, videos and social media activities. While awareness among citizens and stakeholders increased, participation levels nevertheless remained lower than expected.

AI, IoT and gamification to collect data and foster responsibility

Through the CLIMABOROUGH public procurement process launched in September 2023, Ioannina selected two service providers to initiate data collection and develop engaging solutions to involve residents.

DFG LAKE logo

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, DGFlake (Digital for Green Lake) installed sensor networks to measure air, water and ecological conditions, with the aim of addressing local environmental pressures, particularly eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions from Lake Pamvotida.

citywallet logo

Citizens play a key role in the project, as the DGFlake solution includes a gamified component. Participants can choose a “tribe”, collect and verify environmental data through activities (such as cycling around the lake, attending events or monitoring sensors), and earn points and rewards – such as tax reductions – by contributing data to the CityWallet platform.

The CityWallet platform.

This incentive mechanism raises awareness and encourages individual behavioural change.

By combining data collection, advanced monitoring, open data visualisation and community engagement, the solution enables the development of more effective and actionable strategies and policies. This approach fosters co-creation among citizens, businesses, researchers and policymakers, driving collective action towards a climate-neutral city.

ecopulse app

The second solution was developed by LIME Technology. EcoPulse is an innovative digital platform that uses a network of smart sensors and data analytics to monitor environmental indicators in real time, including air quality, water quality in Lake Pamvotida, soil conditions, waste management and transport patterns. The platform provides actionable information to both citizens and local authorities. Through mobile and web applications, users receive real-time updates, alerts and contextual data that support decision-making for more sustainable urban living. EcoPulse also enables citizens to report environmental issues and co-design solutions with authorities and scientists.

Strengthening cross-department collaboration, funding and engagement methodologies

As CLIMABOROUGH enters its final phase, Ioannina is sharing results and lessons learned.

Thanks to communication activities, stakeholders – especially citizens – are now more aware of both pollution challenges and CLIMABOROUGH initiatives. Collaborative events have generated visibility and valuable connections. However, lower-than-expected engagement levels and political permitting issues slowed the project’s momentum.

To maximise the effectiveness of the measures and accelerate implementation, increased public funding and stronger cooperation across all levels of government are needed. Ioannina also proposes the creation of an Innovation & Citizen Engagement Office, a new municipal structure composed of one representative per department, tasked with coordinating projects and fostering continuous collaboration with citizens, academic institutions and the private sector.

Finally, effective citizen engagement requires experienced staff capable of applying robust methodologies, maintaining direct contact with residents and defining realistic KPIs.

Committed to becoming a green role model

To further strengthen its commitment to climate neutrality, Ioannina aims to build on the CLIMABOROUGH experience and become a hub for innovative environmental governance.

In the short term, the city will focus on digital innovation and enhanced citizen engagement. Planned activities include workshops on digital applications and initiatives to involve local businesses and researchers through the CityWallet platform. Additionally, an ideathon will be organised to develop new applications to measure and quantify specific green behaviours, integrate them with the CityWallet rewards system and create incentives for sustainable living in Ioannina.

In the long term, Ioannina plans to deploy additional IoT and AI tools to monitor additional environmental parameters and behaviours, as well as to develop new city-level use cases.

Achieving these objectives will depend on political priorities and the availability of sufficient financial resources to sustain innovation over time.