It is indeed with great pleasure that we welcome you to the opening ceremony of Forest Protection Week. The purpose of Forest Protection Week is to raise awareness of the entire society about the need to protect our forests from fires. In order to get the message across that forest protection is everyone's responsibility, our motto this year is "Only with a sense of responsibility."
The need to protect forests will be better understood if their importance is understood. So a few words about our forests, the forests of our Cyprus. We have managed to keep them as natural forests and in excellent condition. They host and effectively protect 80% of Cyprus' biodiversity. They host 1400 of the 1649 native species and subspecies of flora and about 110 of the 141 endemic species and subspecies. More than 80% of the European Natura 2000 network in Cyprus is covered by forest areas and 58% of the network is state forests. The importance of the Cypriot forests is not limited to the local, but also extends to the international level.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Forest fires are admittedly, indeed, the worst threat to our forests. This is confirmed by the numbers. Over the last decade we have had an average of 247 fires per year, which have burned an average of 2108 hectares of forest and agricultural land per year. We had an average of 104 forest fires, which burned an average of 1826 hectares of forest land per year. That means we have a loss of 0.5% of forest land each year. The direct economic damage from the loss of these areas is even more sensational as it is estimated to be in excess of €50 million per year. Unfortunately, and it must be emphasised that unfortunately, the cause of these fires is man. Unfortunately, 48% (in other words, one in two), an inconceivable figure, are deliberate fires, i.e. fires set on purpose, which does not mean that they are malicious.
Forest fires are not only the worst threat to our forests. Forest fires are now also a security issue - a threat to loss of life and destruction of property. There is another aspect that we must bear in mind and not miss; it is a problem that is getting worse and worse for two main reasons: the abandonment of the countryside, which I consider to be the most important, and climate change. Briefly and simply put, the fires we are experiencing today are not the fires we used to have, they are not the fires we used to know. They have changed and are constantly changing. Our positions and views are confirmed by the UN Special Report, which concludes that fires will be more dangerous and destructive. In that Report, the speed at which the number of large destructive fires will increase is likened to the speed at which the fires themselves are spreading.
A deteriorating, difficult and complex problem can only be tackled by an integrated management system, and indeed there must be continuous and comprehensive improvement. We can and must invest in prevention, but we must also work with the same zeal on the two other key axes of preparedness and effective suppression of forest fires, because no matter what we do, there will always be fires. At the same time, however, we must admit that what remains to be done is more than has been done. Due to time constraints, my comments and observations will be limited to just a few points.
(a) Vegetation management should be the number one measure. While vegetation is the only one of the three permanent factors that determine the risk of fire outbreak and expansion over which man can intervene, not as much has been done as should have been done. The main vegetation management actions include. For God's sake, not the 'virgin nature' doctrine. [*]The implementation of a Major Catastrophic Fire Prevention Plan. [*]The implementation of plans to prevent forest fires from entering residential areas. [*]The management of vegetation on the edges of forests either by agricultural activities or by grazing.
(b) Yes to strengthening aerial firefighting, but aircraft are not a panacea. Not only can they not put out a fire on their own, in a large fire they may not be able to operate. Fires are not extinguished where we want them, but where they can be extinguished.
(c) The arrangement of the forces should be such that there is early detection and, as a rule, the maximum time of intervention should be ten minutes. Use of technology. Application of the strategy "to avoid a large catastrophic fire, mobilise from the initial stage as many forces as are needed to extinguish a large forest fire."
(d) Addressing the problem of deliberate fires. Perhaps the most difficult problem to solve.
(e) Crisis Management Plans are indispensable. Crises cannot be dealt with by one body alone; the involvement not only of all the competent bodies but of the whole state is necessary, which is why they are called crises. It is the Crisis Management Plans that will ensure effectiveness.
(f) The need for international cooperation will be ever greater. To improve effectiveness, a maximum deployment time for assistance must be established, which should be as short as possible.
It is certain that no matter what the Forest Department deploys, it alone cannot fully achieve the great goal of protecting our forests from fires. Cooperation and mutual assistance with all the services involved, Fire Service, Police, National Guard, Prefectures and Local Governments, Civil Defence and Game and Wildlife Service is a given, but it is still not enough.
With this year's motto, "Only with a sense of responsibility", we want to emphasize that we need the whole of society and that only by demonstrating responsibility and even in practice can we succeed. We want the public, first of all, not to cause a fire, or to help us in various other ways. We want the brainless to stop setting fires deliberately. We need and will utilize our volunteers. We need and will utilize the mass media. As for our own responsibility, we assure you unequivocally that we will give our best and that in any shortcomings we will put forward our self-denial in the performance of our duty, which we derive from our love for the forests.
I wish you a summer without major fires. My sincere thanks for your presence here.
(ΕΠ/ΜΒ/ΣΧ)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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