The environmental situation in the Akrotiri wetland is deteriorating due to threats posed by sewage and pollution, environmental organisation Terra Cypria warned on Wednesday.
The organisation said that during a site visit on Tuesday, an inflow of water of “questionable quality”, as well as a strong stench, mud and signs were detected.
Additionally, its environmental scientist found signs of eutrophication – a body of water becoming overly enriched with nutrients, which leads to an excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants – which it said pointed to a presence of sewage within the wetland.
“The flows appear to be related to infrastructure projects and developments in the wider region,” it said.
It called on the British bases’ administration to determine the severity of environmental damage.
It said that it had previously collected evidence and filed complaints on the matter to environmental department in October 2024 and November last year.
“The situation was critical last year … It is shameful how we manage (or rather not manage) our island’s most important wetland,” it said.
It warned that changes in land use, excessive development, drainage projects and water pollution have altered the natural hydrological conditions of the area significantly, and are now “directly threatening the sustainability of the ecosystem”.
“The Akrotiri wetland is the largest surface water body in Cyprus and hosts valuable habitats, wildlife and migratory birds,” it said.
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