“Together for the environment and humanity” Regional Multi-thematic Activity dedicated to the Environment at Korakou village
Address by Andros Kyprianou, General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL, to the Regional Multi-thematic Activity dedicated to the Environment
Korakou village, Sunday 25th September 2016
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 26/9/2016
“All together, for the environment and humanity”
Permit me to welcome you all to today’s event organized with the participation of the entire People’s movement of the Left.
Following the devastating fires of last June, our thoughts were and are still focused on the communities of the affected region. The destruction of the forests is a great loss for the whole of our island. No one however other than the inhabitants of the areas here can feel the real change that these fires will cause to the microclimate, to people’s everyday life and their agricultural work.
Fires are a great enemy of conservation and the productivity of forests. Nothing else causes so much rapid and extensive destruction to the forest ecosystem as fires in forests. That is why we must be prepared, foresee developments and take preventative concrete actions and not act in hindsight. Unfortunately, the cuts from the budget of specific jobs and the erroneous maintenance of fire fighter’s equipment, as well as the evident lack of emergency action plans, multiplied and deepened the devastating effects of the fires. The Anastasiades-DISY party Government has responsibilities for all this, not general and abstract but very concrete responsibilities. Over the past few years indiscriminate cuts have been made in essential services which when it counted could not respond to combating the fires. The result was the loss of 18.5 sq. Km. of forest land and the lives of two fire fighters.
The Government shifted all the responsibilities on to the relevant services, regardless of the fact that later on it tried to patch things up. However, the underestimation of the danger, the role played by the abstention of forest officials from overtime work and the closing down of the Forest College wasn’t some negligence on the part of services – it was in fact government policy.
We will be paying the consequences of the disaster for a long time. On this opportunity permit me to congratulate all the volunteers who helped to extinguish the fire. Especially the volunteer brigades set up by the People’s Movement of the Left who rushed to help extinguish the fires, but to also help build anti-corrosion projects. This is the voluntary side of our action.
On a political level, our goal is to promote environmental policy, protection issues and undertake initiatives that will have a positive impact on both local communities and the environment itself, after the devastating effects of the fires. To date there is no central policy to tackle fires, or for their prevention or suppression.
Forests especially for Cyprus constitute an invaluable and precious natural resource. The significant adverse impact on the natural and human environment and on the activities of the mountainous and rural population can be addressed to a significant degree through the implementation of the appropriate management measures of a technical and economic nature that must be applied in burnt affected areas.
Much remains to be done to restore the burned forest land. Mostly anticorrosion and flood control projects, especially in the cases when structured regions or human-generated activities threaten flood control projects, have already started. In addition, financial aid should be granted to communities that will for a long time suffer from the consequences of the fires. A comprehensive planning and organization of prevention and civil protection, of the natural and built environment from forest fires is imperative. This planning needs to utilize modern technologies for the prevention and handling of dangers
As AKEL, we have proposed the establishment of a Reconstruction Watch Centre, which should be staffed by representatives of the competent agencies and universities, in order to monitor, contribute and assist the implementation of a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction and conservation of damaged areas. This should be undertaken through a sustainable redesign that respects the environment and public interest.
As the saying goes, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is now. “
We are here to make that happen. Congratulations to those who thought of the idea. I thank all of you who responded to our invitation.
Address of Neoklis Sylikiotis, AKEL MEP and GUE/NGL Vice-President, to the Regional Activity “Together for the environment and humanity”
25th September 2016, Korakou village
Dear friends,
Permit me to also welcome you to today’s event, which gives us the opportunity to remember how important it is to have a comprehensive plan for the protection of the environment, the organized prevention and management of fires, and by extension the importance of a plan for the safety of communities and enhancing people’s quality of life.
19th June 2016 has unfortunately been recorded as a black page in Cyprus’ modern history. The fiery storm of fire that broke out that day led to the greatest ecological disaster Cyprus has seen, resulting in 18.5 square kilometers of burnt land. The communities of the region lived through terrible times. Worst of all, two innocent compatriots of ours died fighting the fire in the line of duty.
As AKEL, we contributed in any way we were asked to do so, stressing that the principal task was to collectively tackle the destruction that threatened our country. However now it is important to talk clearly about the reasons that led to the fire, but also about the causes, shortcomings and mistakes committed that contributed to the fires assuming enormous dimensions. We must tell the truth to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Unfortunately the government’s political decisions weakened the ability of our state to respond to the fire. We are referring to government decisions such as, for example, the closure of the Forestry College, the reduction of posts in the Forestry Department and other cuts in the funds within the framework of the devastating neoliberal austerity policies pursued. Furthermore, the current government abandoned the comprehensive planning that existed during the previous government.
The lack of coordination and sloppiness that existed during the fire-fighting effort was very serious. The air support and means were useful, but they could not extinguish fire. They could only confine it.
What was needed was better organization and coordination of ground forces. Especially in the region of Solea many gaps were observed. If ground forces had been mobilized in a coordinated and timely manner by Sunday night, the fire might not have taken on the dimension it assumed.
The Christofias government as of spring was holding constant meetings, involving all the relevant Departments (the Forest Department, the Fire Fighting Department, the Port Service, Civil Defence, police, local communities and the Ministry of Defence) to list the needs and deficiencies that existed. Thus, the decision to increase our ground forces and air means was taken.
Furthermore, we equipped the local communities located in high-risk areas with firefighting trucks for the first response to a possible fire. Before the summer we were holding exercises to be vigilant and ready. Most important and what we wanted was to ensure coordination and a timely intervention because fires do not distinguish between residential and wooded areas.
That is the reason why during the previous Christofias government in the event of a fire the Minister of Interior was immediately informed, as the coordinator, because he was the only one who could mobilize and coordinate all departments and firefighting services. This plan was abandoned by the current Government, but should be brought back!
Responsibilities must be assumed so that we can move forward with sincerity and in a collective manner to the day after. We should actively support the communities to cope with the consequences of the disaster, promote measures in order to prevent similar disasters in the future and implement a comprehensive plan for restoration and reforestation of the burnt areas.
At an EU level, as AKEL we brought back the proposal that we had submitted to the government for the creation of a permanent European regional crisis management centre. That is to say, instead of waiting from states to provide voluntary assistance there should be regional centres staffed and equipped so as to be able to take immediate action in the event of a crisis. We even proposed one management centre to be stationed in Cyprus.
Our political group in the European Parliament, the European United Left-Nordic Green Left, is an ally in our struggle and supports in every way the measures for environmental protection at an EU level, as well as the measures we proposed to support Cyprus in particular. A recent example is the amendment submitted in the EU’s budget for 2017, which seeks to provide financial assistance to Cyprus for the destruction it suffered as a result of the fire in June.
But there is still much to be done and this requires hard work and a responsible attitude by all.
Dear friends,
The current picture of our scorched earth has given us an obligation because we have not inherited nature and the environment from our ancestors, but we are borrowing them from the younger generation. And that is why we are here today because we have an obligation to preserve them both.
Speech of Christina Nicolaou, Head of Environment Office of the C.C. of AKEL, at the event “Together for the environment and humanity”
25th September 2016, Korakou village
AKEL C.C. Press Office
On behalf of the Environment Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL, we welcome you all to today’s regional multi-thematic activity dedicated to the environment, “Together for the environment and humanity”.
Recognizing the enormous impact of the fires last summer on the region of Solea, the entire People’s Movement of the Left, namely AKEL, EKA, POGO and EDON are organizing today this activity with the principal aim of supporting local communities and raising people’s awareness around the environment, its protection and sustainability.
Aware of the responsibility we call on the people to support the reconstruction efforts in the region and the reforestation campaign.
The destruction of the environment in Cyprus, both in urban and rural areas, has assumed great dimensions. The popular strata and working people are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, when compared with the more affluent population groups and this is a fact that nobody can deny.
From the very moment the fires began, AKEL and the People’s Movement of the Left was on the side of local communities, each Organization having its own task and voluntary brigade groups.
At the same time we have submitted our proposals so that the region returns as soon as possible to its previous situation, but mainly to ensure that such tragic events are not repeated.
With these brief words, I call the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL comrade Andros Kyprianou to take the floor for his address.
