Newsroom
The Environment Department has urged the Public Works Department to test a “nature-based solution” at Faros Beach by re-placing pebbles that were previously removed, in an effort to halt ongoing erosion.
“For many years the local authority had removed pebbles from the beach to make it appear sandy and more attractive to locals and tourists,” said Neoklis Antoniou, senior environmental officer at the department. “The pebbles acted as a form of natural protection against erosion — they were essentially the connective tissue of the beach. When waves came and went, the pebbles protected the sand, preventing its loss.”
However, he warned, “when pebbles are removed, that protection disappears, and over time the waves carry sand away, increasing erosion.”
The removal of pebbles has now been halted following a meeting between the Larnaca District Officer, Public Works and the Environment Department. Antoniou noted the pebbles had been piled up at the back of the beach for years, and the department wants Public Works to test re-placing them along the shoreline.
Public Works had initially proposed building breakwaters to combat erosion along the Kiti–Larnaca Airport stretch, which includes Faros Beach. But a Special Ecological Assessment concluded the works could harm protected areas, and the plan was abandoned.
“With the Environment Department’s negative opinion on record, Public Works may reconsider and choose to re-place the pebbles instead,” Antoniou said. The department is also recommending strict enforcement of the law banning pebble removal.
