Environmental Best Practices - Costa Navarino

Environmental Best Practices

At the heart of our business
philosophy lies a strong commitment
to environmental and social
responsibility, aiming at a
sustainable tourism development
in harmony with the natural
environment and local communities
of Messinia.
TEMES adheres to strict environmental
management guidelines, having
environmental protection as a top
priority at Costa Navarino from
construction through to operation.
The building footprint at Costa
Navarino will be less than half of
the percentage permitted, while
more than 90% of the total land area
will be dedicated to indigenous and
planted greenery.
Our facilities at Navarino Dunes,
the first Costa Navarino development,
are in the process of obtaining
Environmental Certification
according to ISO 14001.

Navarino Dunes
Bioclimatic Architecture
The design of Navarino Dunes is
based on the principles of bioclimatic
architecture and is fully aligned with
the region’s traditional architectural
patterns in terms of form, volume
and scale, safeguarding the integrity
of the local landscape, horizon and
ridgeline.
Special design features include:
• free-standing open roofs
• over 5,000 m² of planted roofs
• optimal use of sunlight through
orientation of buildings, landscaping,
artificial and natural shading
• external wall insulation system that
wraps the building in a
thermally resistant envelope
• artificial ponds that improve
the local micro-climate.

Navarino Bay
The First Earth-Sheltered Mixed-Use Resort in Europe
Envisioning a balanced synthesis
of architecture and landscape,
the majority of buildings at Navarino
Bay will be earth-sheltered, fully
integrated into the natural contours
of the land.
Building design and orientation
will optimize the use of natural
elements, leading to an overall
reduction of energy consumption.
The amphitheatrically arranged
facilities will have “living roofs”
planted with native vegetation to
enhance biodiversity and habitat
creation.

Preserving the Landscape
and Biodiversity of Messinia
Messinia is a region with one of the
highest biodiversity levels in Europe.
The preservation of this biodiversity
and the protection of the important
habitats, in the vicinity of Costa
Navarino, is a key element of the
development.

The Biggest Olive-Tree Transplanting
Program in Europe
TEMES has embarked on a challenging
program to uproot olive and other
trees and temporarily plant them in
a specially prepared reception area.
As construction progresses, these
trees are replanted in their final
location on-site, in an effort to
preserve what has been part of the
landscape for hundreds of years.
With a success rate so far approaching
100%, upon program completion at
least 16,000 olive trees and more than
8,000 citrus and other trees will
have been replanted. Additionally,
in the first phase of the Costa
Navarino development, at Navarino
Dunes, TEMES has planted
approximately 6,000 new indigenous
trees and 200,000 endemic shrubs
of different species.
With this tree planting program,
TEMES has joined the Billion Tree
Campaign coordinated by United
Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP).

271 Species of Birds, Many Rare
Gialova lagoon is home to a unique and diverse
bird population comprising 271 different species.
TEMES is funding an extensive research program
on the lagoon’s avifauna, including full-year
monitoring and recording of bird populations,
species identification, mapping of important
habitats, as well as design and implementation
of habitat protection strategies.
The program is being run by the Hellenic
Ornithological Society (the Greek partner
of BirdLife International).

Preserving Caretta Caretta
The Only Population of the
African Chameleon in Europe
TEMES has launched an extensive
monitoring and protection program
for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta
caretta) in cooperation with
Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection
Society of Greece.
The program annually records the
Caretta caretta population while
mapping, monitoring and protecting
the nests using GPS technology.
A detailed action plan ensures that
eggs and hatchlings are protected
until their final journey to the sea.
The lighting of facilities close to the
beach has been specially designed
(low intensity lights with special
covers), while peripheral planting
of selected shrubs provides a natural
light barrier in order to mitigate any
disturbance of the sea turtles that
could discourage females from
nesting or cause hatchlings to
become disoriented.
TEMES, in cooperation with the
Hellenic Ornithological Society
(the Greek partner of BirdLife
International), has initiated an
ambitious project to upgrade the
river Sellas wetlands by removing
the non-native reed beds that burden
the river’s ecosystem, planting
indigenous trees such as Platanus
orientalis and Salix alba and seeding
native plants to enrich the local flora.
TEMES is sponsoring a pioneering program
to protect the habitat of the only European
population of the African chameleon in
Gialova lagoon.
The program, managed by the Hellenic
Ornithological Society (the Greek partner of
BirdLife International) includes nest recording
and protection, monitoring of the hatching
process, transportation of the hatchlings to
nearby shrubs, population recording and
campaigns to raise public awareness about
this fascinating species.

Sustainable Water Management
Committed to the sustainable use
of water resources, TEMES has
conducted an extensive water
resource management study for
the area of western Messinia.
The purpose of this study was to:
As a result of this study, the irrigation
needs of Costa Navarino, including
the golf courses, will be met by water
from two reservoirs of approximate
total capacity 700,000 m³, specifically
designed and constructed by TEMES
for this purpose.
Additionally, a series of water-saving
measures are being applied, based on
best available practices that focus on
consumption monitoring (e.g. leak
control, improved efficiency),
including educational programs for
visitors.
• identify the area’s available water
resources
• explore the impact of climate
change on the quality and
availability of water resources
• design a sustainable water
management system for Costa
Navarino which will use only
water that is naturally replaced
• provide detailed hydro-geological
data to local authorities, so that
they can develop a sustainable
water management system at
a regional level.
The reservoirs, fully integrated into
the surrounding landscape, are filled
during the winter months by
utilizing only a very small percentage
(approximately 2%) of the excess
runoff from the local rivers, just
before flowing into the sea.
This water, together with highly
treated recycled water from our
wastewater treatment plant, is more
than enough to cover the irrigation
needs of Costa Navarino for the whole
season.
The quantity and quality of
underground and surface water
is continuously monitored using
state-of-the-art technology, through
an extensive network of monitoring
stations and sampling points.

Reducing Energy Consumption
and GHG Emissions
TEMES plans to invest in the
development of a 22 MW photovoltaic
system, under permit from the Greek
Regulatory Authority for Energy.
The system, which will be connected
to the national grid, will have the
capacity to produce enough renewable
energy to fully cover the electricity
needs of Costa Navarino and feed
back to the grid the surplus energy
produced, contributing to the national
effort for greener energy production.
By installing the biggest geothermal
system of its kind in Europe with
123 km of underground pipes – the
first on such a large scale worldwide
to be placed underneath a golf
course – TEMES will achieve
significant reductions in energy
consumption and CO2 emissions.
Advanced materials and systems
are installed in the buildings of
Costa Navarino to further reduce
energy consumption.
These include:
• energy-efficient window panes
• high-quality, external wall
insulation system that
significantly reduces energy
losses by wrapping the building
in a thermally resistant envelope
• energy-efficient lighting
• electronic lighting ballasts
• central lighting control systems
• central Building Management
System (BMS).
The energy consumption from
the operation of the resort is
monitored and recorded according
to ISO 14064, using advanced
electronic measuring systems.
The comparative analysis of the
results will reveal possibilities for
further reduction of our carbon
footprint, so that we can continuously
improve our performance.

Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling
The integrated solid and liquid waste
management system of Costa
Navarino is based on waste
reduction, reuse and recycling.
In cooperation with hotel operators,
an extensive recycling program for
paper, plastics, glass, used oil,
batteries and organic waste will be
set in motion, resulting in a
significant reduction of the waste
ending up in landfills.
Part of the waste management
system involves the operation
of a large-scale wastewatertreatment
facility within the
premises of Costa Navarino.

Environmental Best Practices
on the Green
At the forefront of sustainable
golf course management, TEMES
has applied a series of environmental
practices:
• the courses have been planted
with a special type of grass that
requires approximately 30% less
water than average varieties
• as noted previously, the courses
are irrigated from two constructed
water reservoirs, while a
significant proportion of their
irrigation needs is met by highly
treated wastewater from our own
facility
• TEMES has installed a
sophisticated electronic system
for course irrigation, which
utilizes climatic data from
weather-monitoring stations,
installed on the courses, to
calculate the optimum amount
of water required for irrigation,
resulting in significant savings
• organic fertilizers will be used in
all green areas, including the golf
courses, to reduce the chemicals
entering the soil
• an integrated pest management
system, based on an extensive
monitoring program and proven
practices, will minimize the use
of pesticides.

The Bert Bolin Centre for Climate
Research of Stockholm University,
the Centre of Environmental Health
and Biophysics of the Biomedical
Research Foundation of the Academy
of Athens and TEMES have joined
forces to establish an environmental
research station at Costa Navarino.
The Navarino Environmental
Observatory (N.E.O.) is dedicated
to the study of climate change and
its impacts on the natural
environment and human activities
in the Mediterranean region.
Our vision sees N.E.O. becoming
a dynamic hub for environmental
research, where scientists from
all over the world can meet to
exchange know-how and develop
new research ideas.

NAVARINO
NATURA HALL
BY HELLENIC POSTBANK
The Bert Bolin Centre for Climate
Research of Stockholm University
together with the Academy of
Athens, the Hellenic Ornithological
Society (the Greek partner of BirdLife
International) and the Hellenic
Marine Environment Protection
Association (HELMEPA) will operate
the Navarino Natura Hall exhibition
center of Costa Navarino in 2011.
The center will combine modern,
interactive technologies, slide shows
and films about the local habitats
with on-line updates on current
Navarino Environmental Observatory
projects and information about how
the research is carried out.
The purpose of the center is to
inform visitors and locals about
the uniqueness and beauty of
Messinia’s natural habitats.
At the Navarino Natura Hall, visitors
will learn more about environmental
issues and the significant
contribution that each one of us
can make to the greening of our
planet through small changes in
our everyday life.
The center will also run special
programs for children, providing
a fun learning experience
through games.

DEVELOPERS OF
COSTA NAVARINO
www.costanavarino.com
5 PENTELIS ST.
175 64, P. FALIRO
ATHENS, GREECE
T:+30 210 9490 200
F:+30 210 9490 022
info@temes.gr