End of the Year Issue
By Maria Eirini Liodi
December
With an increased push for environmental sustainability and climate crisis awareness, the European Union calls upon its member states to work hard on reducing their emissions to meet the Fit for ’55 goals. According to EU Climate Law, EU emissions must be reduced by at least 55 percent by 2030 with the prospects of climate neutrality in 2050, meaning environmental action must take a front seat for member states.
So, as the Republic of Cyprus attempts to stride into this greener future laid out by EU and U.N. goals, it is vital to consider the unique physical and environmental landscape the state grapples with, as an additional factor of utmost importance for why negotiation talks for the ‘Cyprus Problem’ need to be resumed.
First, let’s start with some context. Following the creation of the U.N. buffer zone in Cyprus in the 1960s and what we can call its formal division following the 1974 war, the island is partitioned in two – as is its capital, Nicosia. We have the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state, which makes up about 59 percent of the island’s area (henceforth south), and then we have the self-declared ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (henceforth north), which makes up about 36 percent of the island’s area. Notably, the ‘TRNC’ is not an internationally recognized state; it is only recognized by Turkey. The two sides have separate administrations and little to no shared actions, posing a problem regarding Cyprus' work toward true environmental sustainability.
The only way to work toward sustainable goals is through consistent actions and accountability, be it on the national or international level. However, only the south of the island, the Republic of Cyprus, is held accountable under internationally binding agreements, while the north of the island lacks international accountability since it is not part of the EU. Therefore, it is not bound by EU environmental regulations and is not subject to potential sanctions meant to deter negative environmental impact. This leaves the heavy load of work to NGOs, implying minimal positive change, and unaccounted damage.
Bringing the focus to the capital, Nicosia, the city’s layout post-divide is at best, suboptimal, given it is literally split in two. Having to construct new transportation links on the fabric of pre-existing infrastructure and transport networks meant to serve the purpose of a country-wide, non-divided map, is challenging and necessitates a skewed logic of urban planning. Therefore, the addition of pavements, even some cycling paths in certain locations, have only been few in number, disallowing many that want to opt for more sustainable travel options – e.g. cycling, from making it their primary mode of transport in the city, as it is neither properly accessible nor fully safe. This leaves the south with an underdeveloped public transportation system and a very high vehicle per capita ratio compared to other EU countries, especially considering the size of the country.
Adding to these issues, there is a severe lack of priority given to the creation of green corridors in urban spaces to mitigate the urban heat island effect and promote decreased car usage in the city. In the north, similar problems prevail, with an all the more unregulated spurt of urban development with little environmental regard, and a public transportation system that is even more underdeveloped and leaves people mostly reliant on private vehicle use. In a utopic future of some form of collaborative administration, talks on sustainable urban development, preservation of green spaces, and creation of more efficient modes of public transport could be on the table, but as of now, that is not the case.
With the added layer of the island’s bustling tourism sector and foreign investments, urban development cannot be discussed outside the context of sustainability and regulation. Rapidly sprouting and multiplying, the skyscrapers built on both sides of the island are emblematic of that. As highlighted in the recent International Consortium of Investigative Journalists investigation and the 2020 Al Jazeera Cyprus Papers, we should be skeptical of the urban development we see, as the unregulated nature of certain investments can easily pertain to the marginalization of environmental concerns and the economic gain of only a select few.
Moreover, Cyprus consumes generously, wastes extensively and disposes inadequately. This is why aside from reduction, sustainable waste disposal methods are critical in minimising negative environmental impact. In the south, some municipalities have taken impressive strides with the implementation of ‘pay as you throw’ schemes, compulsory recycling and even providing families with free composting bins. However, these actions should not be limited to merely one or two municipalities and should be more widely implemented to promote accountability in the way all citizens manage their waste. Some villages do not even have access to recycling bins.
In the north, efforts were made to introduce an organized waste management system according to EU standards in 2012, at the Gungor Dumpsite. Unfortunately, these endeavors quickly ceased after this dumpsite was privatized. In recent years, the dumpsite has begun posing risks to soil, air quality and human health due to incorrect operating methods and a lack of inspections to maintain accountability. With all kinds of waste being handled, including construction and hazardous byproducts, fires have repeatedly begun, posing alarming health risks to all citizens in the area. The air we breathe is not divided, and the environmental degradation of our island will not be either.
With such issues in mind, the people of Cyprus need to be able to demand change, and not have the environment treated as a trivial afterthought. Right now, more than 100 countries have a constitutional right to a free environment, also safeguarded by the U.N. Human Rights Council. Cyprus is not one of those countries. Hence Cypriots on both sides of the divide do not have an explicit right to live in a healthy environment.
These are just some of the problems the island faces environmentally, and they should not serve as a divisive excuse of ‘us’ versus ‘them,’ but instead, contribute to peace negotiations and discussions of shared responsibility. By aiming toward a future where we can harmonize environmental policies, Cyprus can pioneer a path toward a sustainable and resilient future that serves to benefit all its citizens, preserves the island’s biodiversity and ensures controlled development with minimal environmental risks. The journey transcends borders, echoing the principles of accountability, sustainability and partnership. Negotiation talks are critical if there is to be any progress on the island of Cyprus on any front.