Comprising over 200 islands in the Aegean Sea, the Cyclades desert islands, Greece, experience a generally dry and mild climate.

"Sand dunes of the specific areas (Pyrgaki dunes) are subject to significant environmental pressures, direct and indirect, mainly from human activity, exposing significant parts of coastal areas to the risk of flooding by sea water. In particular, the effects of uncontrolled tourism development (e.g. irregular road network and passages on the sand dunes, sand extractions and clearings), in combination with the reduced supply of material for the development of the sand dunes, results in their leveling and consequently in their destruction. Long-term loss of sand from the beach system will lead to coastal retreat, with the outgoing amount of sand being greater than the incoming. At the same time, the presence of the underwater beach-rocks along the shallow submarine area of the western coasts, which extend from many kilometers parallel to the present-day coastline, act as natural breakwaters, protecting the coastal zone from erosion (Imran et al., 2019). Their presence and preservation is essential for the protection of the coastal zone. Potential loss of sand dunes is a threat to the wider areas, especially the low-lying coastal areas, from marine floods, resulting in social, cultural, and economic degradation of the areas.” Professor Niki Evelpidou