Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot experts are expanding cooperation on a range of environmental issues, with six key areas identified as priorities for joint action and several new projects receiving approval following UN Secretary-General António Guterres's recent visit to Cyprus.
According to Michalis Loizides, the Greek Cypriot co-chair of the Technical Committee on the Environment, Mr Guterres expressed strong support for the work of the bicommunal technical committees and highlighted cooperation between the two communities as an important foundation for progress on the Cyprus issue.
Committee members met the UN secretary-general in the presence of UNFICYP chief and Special Representative Colin Stewart's successor Qasim Dian and the secretary-general's personal envoy María Ángela Holguín.
New projects receive approval
Mr Loizides said a number of proposals submitted by the committees recently received approval from the political leadership and negotiators on both sides.
Among the projects given the green light are:
- The gradual recording and protection of natural heritage sites across Cyprus.
- A joint initiative with the Technical Committee on Culture to highlight the importance of those sites to local communities.
- The installation of owl nesting boxes at cultural monuments to help protect them from rodent damage.
- The development of environmental education programmes for children focusing on issues such as water resources and air quality.
Six areas identified for cooperation
According to Mr Loizides, the Technical Committee on the Environment has identified six main areas where cooperation is needed:
- Wildfire management
- Plant disease control
- Mosquito population management
- Wildlife management
- Monitoring of material burning
- Oil spill response
He said cooperation is particularly important in addressing plant diseases, which are increasing as new species enter Cyprus through airports, and in managing wild animal populations, including packs of wild dogs that move through areas near the buffer zone.
Existing cooperation shows results
Mr Loizides said previous joint initiatives have already demonstrated the benefits of cooperation.
One project involved introducing an insect that acts as a natural predator of a pest affecting citrus crops. According to Mr Loizides, the programme has kept pest numbers below alert levels for more than a year, helping safeguard Cyprus's citrus exports.
A similar effort is under way to combat a pest affecting prickly pear cacti, with another natural predator introduced three months ago. While its population has not yet increased significantly, it has survived across the island and continues to be monitored.
Digital monitoring platform planned
Mr Loizides also said the United Nations is promoting the creation of a digital platform that would enable the recording and monitoring of plant diseases across Cyprus through a geographic information system.
He added that the technical committees provide an important channel for tackling shared challenges through cooperation among scientists and experts rather than through political processes.
Source: CNA
