The Technical Committee on Environment (TCE) in Cyprus has been assigned the task of fostering communication and collaboration among various environmental stakeholders. The committee aims to facilitate knowledge sharing, exchange good practices, address challenges, and generate ideas to tackle environmental issues across the entire island. To highlight the environmental concerns in Cyprus, the TCE has identified specific thematic areas and has been organizing site visits focused on these priority topics.
In line with these efforts, on May 3, 2023, the TCE arranged a site visit to a vulture feeding/nesting area, with a primary emphasis on biodiversity and nature conservation. The visit aimed to observe and draw attention to the ongoing efforts in reducing the use of poisonous substances on the island. Led by the co-chairs of the committee, along with the UNDP Cyprus head of office, OSASG Facilitator and technical experts in environmental engineering, ecology, and epidemiology, the members embarked on a guided tour of these significant sites. During the visit, the site hosts provided a brief introduction to their activities in minimizing poison usage.
Following the tour, a workshop was conducted where the experts and participants engaged in discussions on the reasons and impact of poison use on the environment and endangered species in Cyprus. The experts also deliberated on proposed measures to address the issue of poison baits and foster coordination in future endeavours. The workshop concluded with an open call for proposals aimed at addressing urgent environmental concerns in nature conservation, encouraging collaborative efforts for a shared future.
The suggested actions within this thematic area, focused on the well-being and common future of all inhabitants in Cyprus, revolved around the following subjects:
- Conducting a comprehensive baseline study to ascertain the reasons behind and extent of poison use.
- Facilitating knowledge transfer to enhance awareness and catalyze efforts among stakeholders such as farmers, hunters, and NGOs.
- Establishing a network of stakeholders to coordinate collective endeavours in reducing the use of poison baits.
- Creating demonstration sites to showcase the effects of alternative methods.
It was agreed that the next step would involve developing a project proposal to address the aforementioned topics. This proposal would serve as a concrete action plan towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.
