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It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to today's workshop organized by our Office on "Coastal Developments and Sustainable Construction Products"
First of all, let me thank the Municipality of Larnaca for hosting the workshop at the Larnaca Municipality Multipurpose Social Welfare and Employment Centre.
Today we have the honour to have with us the Director General of the General Directorate of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mr. Kostas Hadjipanagiotou. Dear Mr. Hadjipanagiotou, we thank you for your presence and for the support you provide to the efforts of the Office of the Environment Commissioner to properly inform citizens and highlight the issue of sustainable development of the coastal areas of our island.
I am particularly pleased that we have with us today two speakers of renowned prestige and great expertise, each in his own field, Dr. Dimitrios Melissa, Lawyer-Lecturer of the National Technical University of Athens, and Mr. Phanos Hadjikyriakou, Environmental Engineer and Executive Director of 2050 Materials. We look forward to hearing their presentations and being informed about various aspects of this important issue which is the subject of today's workshop. I would also like to thank Ms Irene Constantinou, Senior Environmental Officer, for accepting the invitation to speak at the workshop and inform us about the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol of the Barcelona Convention. Finally, I would like to thank my team at the Office of the Environment Commissioner without whose valuable help, tireless efforts and enthusiasm today's workshop could not have been organised. Of course, I also owe thanks to all of you, the participants and attendees of today's workshop.
In Cyprus, coastal development is of paramount importance precisely because of the island nature of our country. One only has to consider that all the cities of our island except the capital are coastal, as well as the fact that a significant part of our country's income comes from coastal tourism to realize that the discussion on the sustainable development of coastal areas is crucial and very important. Therefore, being aware of the need to integrate environmental balance and respect for our natural wealth, as well as the fact that today we can no longer talk about development if it is not sustainable, the Environment Commissioner's Office took the initiative to organise this workshop.
Our aim is to inform public and private stakeholders about what EU law provides for coastal developments, how we comply with it and what is happening in Cyprus.
Our aim is to inform public and private stakeholders about what EU law provides for coastal developments, how we comply with it and what is happening in Cyprus. The ultimate goal is the cooperation of all competent authorities in order to achieve the sustainable management of coastal areas in a way that harmoniously combines our actions and activities with the protection of the coastal area.
Moreover, a priority in the governance programme is the proper information of citizens on environmental issues, the strengthening of communication with the scientific community, environmentally friendly building and zoning. This is why we consider it extremely important to understand the environmental impact of any kind of developments on the environment, because if they are not planned and placed only where and where they are allowed, their negative consequences will be passed on to the very well-being of the communities that depend on these areas. We therefore have a duty to be proactive and ensure that our actions and activities comply with the principles of sustainability.
We must approach coastal areas with a deep sense of responsibility, ensuring that projects developed do not degrade the environment and ecosystems, nor jeopardise the conservation of protected species. This requires a deep knowledge and understanding of local ecosystems, proper, methodical and thoughtful planning, but also a new dimension that puts innovation and technology at the service of sustainability, the incorporation and use in any developments of sustainable building materials that are in harmony with their surroundings. We will of course hear more about this from our distinguished speakers.
At the same time, we recognise that legislation is the central axis around which efforts for sustainable coastal development will be achieved. Many of the provisions of the Seventh Protocol to the Barcelona Convention on Integrated Coastal Zone Management, which ensures the protection of the marine environment and coastal zones through sustainable development practices, have been put in place. We look forward to hearing more about this from Ms. Konstantinou.
In conclusion, I would like to stress that development is not and cannot be understood only as building. After all, anything that does not go hand in hand with environmental protection cannot be considered development. Therefore, sustainable development should not be just a goal but our mission.
(EN/NG/MS)
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