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The Municipality of Larnaca has received another national environmental distinction, earning the title “Green City of Cyprus 2025” through the Pan-Cyprian Green Cities and Green Communities Awards.
According to an official municipal statement, the award was granted for the project “Strengthening and Expanding the Green Beaches initiative,” which competed in the category “Green Areas - Urban Biodiversity.” The winners were selected following an evaluation carried out by the Scientific Evaluation Committee during an online session attended by all its members.
With this new recognition, Larnaca is once again included in the Network of Green Cities and Communities of Cyprus, an initiative created by the Cyprus Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CYCEREE).
The award-winning effort focuses on the Voroklini Municipal District, where the municipality has carried out a long-term program to upgrade both the coastal strip and surrounding urban areas. The plan includes large-scale tree planting and other green interventions aimed at improving local climate conditions, strengthening biodiversity, and enhancing the overall environment for residents and visitors.
Municipal figures indicate that more than 4,500 trees have been planted in the area over the last nine years, including over 1,500 during 2025 alone. The species selected were chosen for their ability to thrive in coastal and urban settings. In 2025, planting in the seaside zone included palm trees, tamarisks, oleasters, casuarinas, pines, cypresses, eucalyptus trees, and mastic trees, while the urban centre saw new additions such as Ficus Amstel trees, carob trees, mulberries, and further casuarinas and mastic trees.
The municipality stressed that these measures help expand shaded areas, reduce heat stress, and lower the district’s carbon footprint.
In parallel, Voroklini has also seen other sustainability actions, including the installation of LED street lighting, the use of photovoltaic systems, and initiatives encouraging recycling. Environmental protection measures have also been implemented around sensitive natural sites such as Voroklini Lake, in cooperation with relevant state and local authorities.
Larnaca officials said the project reflects ongoing collaboration with government services and reinforces the municipality’s broader commitment to sustainable development policies, with the aim of building a greener and more climate-resilient city.
