Newsroom
A dispute over the management of the Akamas Peninsula has intensified, with leading environmental organisations accusing the government of failing to address environmental violations and sidelining meaningful consultation.
In a joint statement, BirdLife Cyprus, Terra Cypria and the Cyprus Federation of Environmental Organizations expressed strong dissatisfaction with the way the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is handling the development of the Akamas National Forest Park.
The criticism follows a recent meeting with the Director General for Environment, which the organisations said did not amount to genuine consultation. According to them, decisions had already been made in advance, leaving no room for substantive discussion or proper consideration of the positions they had repeatedly submitted, including in writing. Such practices, they argue, undermine transparency and weaken public participation in decision-making.
At the centre of the dispute are environmental violations identified during Phase A of the project, which began in December 2022 and involved upgrades to three main roads in the area. Although these breaches of legally binding environmental conditions were acknowledged by most competent authorities, significant issues remain unresolved two years later.
The organisations point to illegal road widening, unauthorised hydraulic works and interventions in sensitive habitats that failed to take into account the ecological needs of protected species. Despite official recognition of these violations, they say there has been no comprehensive restoration, no full compliance with environmental obligations and no accountability for those responsible.
They further argue that, in practice, Akamas continues to function as an open construction site. Illegal access routes remain in use, unauthorised structures continue to operate while new ones are appearing, and the regulatory framework necessary for the proper operation of the National Forest Park has yet to be put in place. At the same time, key protection and management decrees for Natura 2000 areas are still pending, raising concerns about Cyprus’s compliance with its environmental obligations.
Additional concerns have been raised over delays in the next stages of the project. Phases B and C, which are intended to complete the development through further road improvements and visitor infrastructure, have yet to move forward as planned. The organisations warn that the limited reassessment currently being promoted falls short of earlier Cabinet decisions calling for a full redesign aimed at minimising environmental impact.
They also reveal a lack of transparency surrounding investigations into the violations, including one disciplinary and three administrative inquiries. This, combined with what they describe as limited consultation and failure to implement existing decisions, raises questions about institutional accountability.
The organisations are calling on the Ministry to revise its approach, ensuring full compliance with environmental conditions, restoration of damage caused during Phase A and a comprehensive, science-based reassessment of future phases through proper ecological and environmental impact studies. They also stress the need for transparent and inclusive consultation involving all stakeholders.
“The protection of Akamas is not negotiable,” the groups said, warning that safeguarding the area requires coordinated, scientifically grounded management and clear accountability to prevent similar failures in the future.
