Even the most sceptical among us must now concede that what we are experiencing is not merely a heatwave but our new reality.
Temperatures exceeding 40°C for almost the entire summer, floods in winter, coastal erosion, and destructive wildfires. While the situation may not be reversible, efforts can still be made to curb the destruction of nature, the primary driver of climate change. Each country, city, community, and individual has a role to play within their means.
Experts argue that strengthening nature and protecting local biodiversity are crucial interventions in building more sustainable and resilient cities. A healthy natural ecosystem can mitigate the impacts of climate change by sequestering carbon, providing shade, capturing runoff water, and protecting coasts from erosion.
With this in mind, mayors from 31 cities, including Los Angeles, Mumbai, Paris, Stockholm, and Sydney, signed a joint declaration (the Urban Nature Declaration), pledging that 30-40% of their cities’ total built-up area will comprise green spaces by 2030, and 70% of residents will have access to green or blue (water-based) public spaces within a 15-minute walk or cycle.
So, what is the situation in Cyprus? To some, trees are an obstruction to “development.”
Trees are cut down with great ease to widen roads, construct high-rise buildings or housing complexes, add more sunbeds on beaches, or install photovoltaic parks. Large areas are covered with photovoltaic panels, which collect solar energy but also emit heat.
Moreover, tons of concrete and metal, which exacerbate high temperatures, are used for their installation. Where once grass or crops grew, now nothing can take root. Agricultural land is being transformed into “parks” because, as is well known, it is better to import from the Netherlands, China, or Argentina than to cultivate locally… And when you hear the word “park,” you envision trees, flowers, lakes, and pathways with insects, but the term now suddenly connotes aridity.
As colleague, Angelos Nicolaou, revealed, a company has applied to create such a “park” by cutting down 1,400 pine trees in the Lyythrodontas-Mathiatis area. The Department of the Environment clarified that the application is merely being examined and does not guarantee a permit will be granted.
However, this is not an isolated case. Photovoltaic installations now outnumber any other type of tree planting. Meanwhile, citizens await approval for their applications to install a few panels on their rooftops.