Adopting a co-design approach to include the regional government in Crete in all decisions is an imperative aspect of the whole system approach for the Service Design Lab (SDL) in Messara, Crete. The regional government and Envifriendly Innovations are currently involved in the co-design of the framework to develop the strategic plan to mitigate the impacts of desertification and soil degradation in the areas of Asterousia and Messara, Crete. The aim of the SDL is to highlight the Water-Energy-Food-Energy Nexus goals concerning the minimization of climate change impact.
Updated 29/05/2025
Engaging the Regional Government of Crete: Using the whole systems approach to implement change
The various divisions of the regional government are the primary stakeholders who with the guidance of Envifriendly Innovation will identify the key players impacted by desertification and soil degradation and co-design a framework that suits their needs and capabilities.
Methodology in this case refers to the service/strategic plan. It is of the utmost importance that the action plan selected is something that the stakeholders are willing and capable to implement. This is why developing a framework to address the problems with the regional government by defining the objective of action and identifying stakeholders will facilitate the process of application. Assessment methods, stakeholder engagement approach and expected results will be something decided together.
Science has documented a long list of alternative solutions that relate to sustainable land use practices that can be adapted to reverse the adverse impact of climate change and desertification. In addition, there are tools and models that can be used to evaluate the trade-offs between the different alternatives and identify optimal solutions that restore soil ecosystem services.
There are many solutions that can be implemented in cases just like Messara, multiple academic studies have proved this. For this reason, we have adopted the term “science proposition.” A science proposition is essentially the alternatives/solutions that can be implemented to mitigate desertification and soil degradation (see figure below)
Similar to Mirtl et al. (2021) who discuss the Whole System Approach for in-situ research on life-supporting systems in the Anthropocene, by integrating multiple disciplines and engaging a wide range of stakeholders, we will use the whole-system approach to enhance knowledge of the interplay between human actions ecosystems. By also, fostering collaborative development of solutions that are sustainable, equitable, and tailored to regional needs while enabling more impactful responses to challenges like climate change, biodiversity decline, and land degradation.
Asterousia Mountains: Photo from Shutterstock
Asterousia Mountains: Photo from Shutterstock
The blog was prepared Natalie Anne Nikolaidis from the IRISCC Service Design Lab on Evaluation of Adaptation and Mitigation Actions to Drought.
