By Hugh Jarss….
The latest IPCC report on climate change, as it may affect the eastern Mediterranean over the next few decades, is cataclysmic. Urgent steps are required now to keep Cyprus liveable. So, how is North Cyprus preparing? Not well, based on recent Press reports. In our recent article “The Last Chance Saloon is now Closed” we mentioned some steps that could be taken to achieve a sustainable and liveable environment.
Proposal:
Solar PV power could supply 100% of our energy needs within a few years.
Reality:
Kibtek, which cannot even buy enough fuel to supply the existing power demand, is preventing all domestic PV installations (unless you are a Minister, of course). It has no money to build a commercial scale PV field itself and is stopping private money.
Score: 0/10 – should be minus 10.
Proposal:
Water management.
Reality:
The government has failed to complete the necessary infrastructure to take full advantage of the water supply from Turkey. 45 million tonnes per annum of water is therefore unexploited. Many millions of tonnes of water are flowing into the sea from rivers and sewage works which could be recycled. Meanwhile, agriculture continues to draw water from wells which are rapidly depleting the aquifers. When the supply of water from Turkey ceases, in the years ahead, as a result of regional desertification, we will face empty pipelines and empty aquifers. Without desalination on a massive scale that will spell complete disaster.
Score: 4/10 – for the pipeline.
The number of large scale desalination plants being built is……. none.
Score : 0/10
Proposal:
Sea agriculture.
Reality:
Many species of popular edible fish are being overfished, some 14 (out of 75) species are expected to become extinct. Sewage is pouring into the sea rendering some fish harvests unsaleable and poisoning bottom feeding fish and other life forms. Sea plant life is also at risk, from bottom fishing and sewage, further damaging the marine ecosystem. Effective sustainable management is entirely absent. The two iconic marine species, turtles and seals, are looked after by charities but are actually persecuted by some local authorities.
Score:0/10
Proposal:
Town planning to create environmentally sustainable, attractive communities.
Reality:
Tens of thousands of new heat absorbing concrete and glass properties are being authorised each year (some say 30,000 in the Tatlisu district alone) in an unrestricted Wild West building bonanza. That is hundreds of thousands of new air conditioning units pumping out super hot air and guzzling electricity plus thousands of new swimming pools evaporating hundreds of thousands of tonnes of water. This also means less agricultural land and a smaller, degraded natural habitat for the remaining wildlife.
Score:0/10
Maybe our reader has a more optimistic view of things. Let us have your opinion.
Editor’s Note
The opinions, advice or proposals within the article are purely those of the author and do not, in any way, represent those of CyprusScene.com
Horrifying lack of forward thinking. No new builds should be permitted (worldwide) that are not self-sufficient in energy needs. Cyprus has so many natural advantages, sad to see them being wasted.