The International Environment Day

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 5th June 2014, Nicosia

It is with great concern that AKEL herald this year’s International Environment Day, which has been highlighted in our times as a priority issue affecting people’s quality of life and especially for the future generations.

The environment is still being targeted as a vast source of reckless exploitation of the earth’s natural resources, as a waste disposal site and as yet another sector for profitable investment, resulting in the planet’s major problems deteriorating.

The development model that was applied in Cyprus after independence was promoted in line with international trends. Cyprus’ environmental problems become even more acute as a result of the Turkish invasion, the continuing occupation, the unnatural separation of Cyprus’ ecosystem, uncontrolled development and the long-term lack of a correct and comprehensive state environmental policy.

AKEL considers that the environmental and ecological crisis is primarily a political, economic and social issue. The problems of environmental degradation now have a direct impact on the quality of life of working people and low income social strata who are the first to suffer from these imbalances.

The concept of environment is directly linked to health issues and must be addressed, so that we can safeguard it and make it clear that the right to the environment is a demand for clean air and water, healthy food and a quality life in general for all, as necessary elements for ensuring human prosperity.

The implementation of a model of sustainable development is one of our main goals. The proposal of AKEL aims at fair and sustainable production processes and relationships, which extend to the level of socio-economic change, always in line with the peculiarities of our country.

AKEL believes that environmental policy today should principally include the implementation of new economic and social development policies, which will have as a goal the maintenance of the ecosystem’s capabilities and natural resources within the context of an overall strategy for Sustainable Development, respecting the need to develop for the benefit of society as a whole and not for the sake of random “exploitation” of the environmental issue for enrichment and political considerations and expediencies.

The state and society should review the policies of uneven economic development towards this end, within the context of the elaboration of a national campaign to adapt to new climatic and adverse economic conditions which have started to affect, at rapidly increasing rates, our country and life in general.

The destruction of the environment in Cyprus, both in urban and rural areas, has assumed enormous dimensions. The popular classes and working people are disproportionately being affected by the downgrading of the environment, in comparison to the more affluent groups of the population.

Consequently, the struggle to solve the environmental problem is directly linked to the social struggle for a fairer and more humane society.

A steady and consistent relationship of humanity with nature will develop within this framework. People and the natural environment as a whole can survive by having real choices and the planet capable of hosting them.