The joint effort of the communities of Pissouri and Kouklion, in order to include the wider area between the two communities, which will include Akrotiri Aspro and Petra tou Romiou, in the monuments of natural and cultural heritage in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List, is proposed by Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosius.
Welcoming, on Saturday, an event in the community of Pissouri, on the occasion of celebrating the European Natura 2000 Day, Commissioner Theodosiou made special reference to the proposal of the community council of Pissouri to promote international recognition of the area for the important reserve of culture, natural environment and impressive geomorphology which has.
As he said, “the incomparable beauty of the landscape of Akrotiri Aspros, the biodiversity, history and mythology that accompany it are important components to be able to promote its inclusion as a monument of natural and cultural heritage in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, in the context of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Convention”.
As he explained, for a site to be included in this list, it needs to be a case of outstanding global value and meet at least one of the ten criteria set by the International Convention for World Heritage and which include cultural, archaeological, geological and biological elements.
Specifically, he continued, in the first stage the country should include the area under consideration in a preliminary list which it will submit for review, while the State then submits the nomination file to UNESCO to be assessed by ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM. After the evaluation is done, he added, the final decision is made by UNESCO's Cultural Heritage Committee, which meets every year.
Pointing out the time-consuming and complex process, which requires the coordination of State Services, Local Authorities and specialized experts, as well as the strict criteria that accompany it, the Environment Commissioner proposed that this effort be undertaken jointly by the community of Pissouri and the community of Kouklion.
The goal, as he said, must be the integration of the area of interest in its entirety, which is located within the two communities, and at the same time its connection with Palaipafos and the myth of the birth of the Goddess Aphrodite.
This proposal, he noted, increases the chances of success for the inclusion of the wider area of Akrotiri Aspros – Petra tou Romiou as a UNESCO natural and cultural heritage monument, thus making it the second mixed heritage monument in Cyprus, after the southern part of the mine Mathiatis, which has been included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage candidate list since 2002.
Referring specifically to Akrotiri Aspro, she said that it is both a Special Protection Zone (SZP) due to the presence of the black falcon, cormorant, tern, scalifurta and trypomaz, but also a Special Conservation Zone (SZD) due to the presence of 7 types of habitats (with approximately 85% of the area extends to the sea, with the reef habitat dominant) but also other important species of flora and fauna, highlight the great ecological value of the area, he added.
He also noted that the impressive geological formations that extend from the Gulf of Pissouri, west to Petra Romiou, have a huge geological as well as archaeological value, which was relatively recently revealed and concerns the location of 'Pezunarkon', since there are indications of a small settlement to the point. And the limestone volumes of the Petra tou Romiou formation, 200 million years ago, were coral reefs and in them one can find fossilized corals, but also algae, foraminifera, etc., he added.
“The Office of the Commissioner of the Environment supports the community council of Pissouri and we will promote this effort to the best of our ability”, underlined Mrs. Theodosiou, who was honored by the community council for her long-term contribution to the community .
According to an announcement by the IPO, the Commissioner of the Environment welcomed yesterday the event of the community of Pelendrio “Environmental Festival in the village”, as part of the Climate Early project.
In her welcome, read by an official of the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment, Antonia Theodosiou said that “initiatives like the Climate Early project, in which we see small-scale collaborations in school education, are vital for the future of our children and our planet and strengthen our hope for a healthier and more sustainable world”.
“The integration of environmental education and education for sustainable development in all educational levels of our country is a strategic goal of the Education Unit for the Environment and Sustainable Development, of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, contributing to the formation of the sustainable school, which will act as an agent of environmental and social change”, she added.
Among other things, in her speech the Commissioner mentions that the participation of schools in projects such as Climate Early is not just an educational activity, but a journey that inspires and transforms the hearts and minds of our children, as “through experiential learning students not only gain knowledge about climate change, but learn to love and respect the environment , actively contributing to its protection”.
Underlining that parent-school collaboration creates a strong support network that can lead to real change and that extends from home to community and beyond, the Environment Commissioner assured that her Office supports actions that strengthen children's environmental awareness and better equip new generations to protect and care for our planet.
Source: KYPE
