Environmental organizations criticize development plans and legal compliance in Akamas Peninsula

Five environmental organizations, including BirdLife Cyprus and Terra Cypria, have sent an open letter to President Nikos Christodoulides demanding better protection of Natura 2000 areas in the Akamas Peninsula. The groups report significant delays in implementing 2023 government conservation pledges and highlight persistent illegal structures and unauthorized interventions in protected zones. Separately, the group 'Friends of Akamas' and the Ecologist Movement have strongly opposed a new assessment report approving road improvements between the Baths of Aphrodite and Kakoskali. Opponents argue the project violates legally binding ecological conditions and contradicts the Sustainable Development Plan, which requires closing this route to private vehicles. They contend that the expansion will increase traffic, fire risks, and environmental degradation, while dismissing government claims that the road is necessary for firefighting. Furthermore, Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou has reported being excluded from key Environmental Authority meetings regarding these developments. The critics are calling for the immediate withdrawal of the approval and an urgent review of enforcement mechanisms to address ongoing illegal activities in the region.