A conference organised by the Department of Environmental Protection was held in Cyprus on Thursday 24 October.
During the event, the department's chief commissioner, Antonia Theodosiou, called for a ban on building on the island within 100 metres of the coast.
She noted that the realisation of such projects destroys the local ecosystem and landscape. The situation is made worse by climate change, which is causing sea levels to rise on the island and soil erosion to increase.
In recent years, there has been a lot of construction activity near the coast. As a result of these activities, both the natural ecosystem and our familiar landscapes are suffering,' said Theodosiou.
Theodosiou said there was a need to regulate this situation on a legislative basis. She stressed the importance of this initiative to bring Cyprus' legislation in line with the requirements of the Barcelona Convention on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean.
It should be recalled that the Barcelona Convention prohibits the construction of buildings within 100 metres of the sea shore. Cypriot law limits the zone to 91.44 metres from the high tide line, allowing development if it is in the public interest and approved by the cabinet.
Theodosiou said a special team had recently been set up and was carrying out a study of the environmental sensitivity of the Cypriot coastline in order to identify zones in need of protection. These zones could be larger than the 100 metres recommended by the Barcelona Convention. Finally, Theodosiou mentioned that in order to protect the local ecosystem from illegal construction, not only the implementation of relevant laws, but also regular inspections of coastal areas are necessary.