National Observatory of Athens

The National Observatory of Athens (NOA) is the oldest Greek public research centre (founded in 1842). It hosts the UNESCO Chair for Natural Disasters and operates the Greek GEO Office (Group on Earth Observations).

NOA’s Institute for Environmental Research & Sustainable Development (IERSD) maintains the longest and most complete climatologic record in Greece of meteorological (>120yrs) and solar radiation (>60yrs) parameters. It was also the first organisation that started a systematic study of urban pollution in Athens, in 1980. The Institute’s research orientation includes: meteorological monitoring (260 stations), experimental research on air quality, atmospheric chemistry, aerosols and solar radiation, climate change research, synoptic and mesoscale atmospheric modeling, applied research (buildings, indoor air pollution, energy conservation, consultant services, e.t.c.), environmental management, surface and underground hydrology.