Environmentalists say Akamas Plan being rushed through

The Federation of Environmental Organisations (Opok) said on Tuesday the intense lobbying from political parties and governmental organisations to speed up the implementation of the revised Akamas plan was a cause for concern.

The Akamas plan is set for discussion at a joint meeting of the house environment and interior committees on Wednesday, following last week’s report that it could be officially announced by mid-June.

On Tuesday, Opok said the plan will severely impact areas in Akamas that are part of the Natura 2000 network.

It added that the expected ecological assessment due to be issued by the environmental department “can only be negative, as it should outline the irreversible impact on the flora and fauna of the area.”

Last week, two environmental NGOs, the Cyprus Natural Coastline initiative and Save Akamas/Save Cyprus, warned that proposed planning zones in the plan threaten the survival of species such as the green turtle and the long-legged buzzard.

Opok therefore called on stakeholders to amend and revise the plan once again to preserve “the unique environmental landscape that constitutes the Akamas peninsula.

“Safeguarding the Akamas cannot be achieved with scattered and uncontrolled development, but only through compatible and integrated actions,” the statement said.

As previously reported by Cyprus Mail, four key Akamas areas are the focus of discussion, the first being the government-owned forest land, where there are plans to build asphalt roads and controlled entry points, and create refreshment areas and services inland and on two beaches.

The second area concerns private properties enclosed within the state forest. Over the years there has been talk of exchanging these with government land elsewhere, but this never materialised.

Third are the areas where private land needs to be protected as it falls within the EU-designated Natura 2000 protected zone and finally, there is the issue of private plots in and around the villages and the possibility that the government will expand permitted residential building in these areas.