A letter to the President of the Republic says that the Federation of Environmental Organizations of Cyprus (OPOK) has sent, regarding the developments in the Akamas National Forest Park (EDPA) for which it "sounds the alarm for the lack of political will" for a substantial revision of the “Sustainable Development Plan of the Akamas National Forest Park”.
OPOK, in a statement, states that the letter was sent following the meeting held on March 11, 2024, in which President Christodoulidis was represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and the Deputy Minister alongside the President. It is noted that at this meeting OPOK was given the opportunity to present its views on the developments in the EDPA.
The NGO states that it is "not satisfied with the intentions of the Government", as expressed during the meeting, to correct and not repeat the mistakes made in the EDPA. He notes that, the current developments regarding the EDPA and specifically with the review of the unfinished works of the Phase A contract of the road network, "show that many of the mistakes made remain, such as the unnecessary but also inconsistent with the site bridges which copy urban standards».
In the response they received that the demolition of the bridges has costs and emissions, OPOK states that the costs and emissions from the embankments that will be needed to raise the roads between the bridges and the creation of slopes and of their built wings.
"The main thing is that in the total evaluation does not include the costs for the environment and the aesthetics of the landscape if these constructions remain over time in such a place as the EDPA for which such projects were supposed to be done that would be models for other similar areas,'' it states.
In the letter, OPOK poses the question to President Christodoulides as to whether discounts and relaxations in ecological standards can be made. OPOK also states that they do not find that any responsibilities have so far been attributed, where appropriate, "for the reckless waste of important public resources on many unnecessary and incompatible projects […]».
He quotes even its positions submitted to the meeting of March 11, 2024, among others, "the complete re-evaluation and revision of the Sustainable Development Plan of the Akama National Forest Park and of course the philosophy and intended use of the road network and other infrastructures, the which should take seriously the internationally recognized principles of sustainable mobility and biodiversity protection”.
Source: KYPE
