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- Ελληνικά
Climate change is now a fact. Under the weight of human activity, the ozone hole and the greenhouse effect, the consequence of climate change is the more frequent recording of extreme weather events such as extremely high temperatures, heavy rainfall and drought. Climate forcing is a direct threat with detrimental effects on human health, ecosystems and social and economic cohesion.
Addressing the consequences of climate change requires coordinated and targeted action at multiple levels. The ecological orientation of communities and the improvement of building design contribute, among other things, to improving the protection of the environment, human health and biodiversity.
The Christodoulides Government aims to mitigate the consequences and crises caused by climate change. In this direction, the implementation of actions and policies is promoted, in line with European and international directives and practices.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The protection of the environment concerns everyone, the State and civil society. Decentralising actions by taking initiatives at the level of local communities can contribute to better management of the problem. Particularly in view of the implementation of the ambitious project of reforming local government and setting up clusters of services in communities to better and more directly serve citizens, local communities should strengthen their capacity to respond adequately and effectively to modern challenges such as climate change.
In this context and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Recovery and Resilience Plan "Cyprus, Tomorrow", the Council of Ministers approved last July the Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Enhancement Grants Scheme for Communities, funded by the European Next Generation EU Mechanism, with a total budget of €2.9 million. We will hear more about the Project next from Mr. Kitromilides and Mr. Vlachos.
The beneficiaries of the Project are the Community Councils, which are invited to take the lead by taking action to mitigate and mitigate the impacts of climate change in order to increase the level of well-being of their citizens. This Plan is a powerful tool for communities and, in combination with other Action Plans, should strengthen their resilience to the severe climate changes that are taking place with ominous predictions of a larger problem in the future.
The green transition is a long-term commitment and requires multiple and wide-ranging actions. Accordingly, the benefits of these actions are multiple. Adopting actions to manage the impacts of climate change that have a positive impact on reducing air pollution, cooling, stormwater runoff, biodiversity development, and the quality of life and well-being of people.
These actions include rational land use planning that regulates land use taking into account floodplains, streams, erosion and other geological hazards, high fire risk areas, food sufficiency and the protection of flora and fauna. Promoting multifunctional areas through a mix of uses, encouraging compact cities through tools such as urban rezoning and limiting urban sprawl are important goals of the Rural Policy Statement that regulates development in most communities. These principles are the fundamental basis for mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Actions related to the scale of built-up areas - towns and villages - include the design of public open spaces, the creation of pedestrian and cycle paths to facilitate sustainable urban mobility, the use of water-permeable and cold-weather materials and the planting of trees in open outdoor spaces, the creation of parks and green oases. Tree planting alone has already been shown to effectively reduce the urban heat island effect. The State's target is to plant one million trees.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Implementing Incentive Plans that encourage cultural change by adopting environmentally friendly interventions allow for a rapid transition to green growth and circular economy and lead to climate neutrality. The green transition is a major challenge for Governments worldwide, therefore we need to develop a long-term integrated plan to promote sustainable energy and environmental practices for the benefit of our planet and future generations.
In conclusion, I would like to congratulate the Cyprus Energy Office, the implementing agency of the Plan, and the Union of Communities Cyprus, the supporting agency, for their commitment to achieving the objectives of this action.
In conclusion, I would like to congratulate the Cyprus Energy Office, the implementing agency of the Plan, and the Union of Communities Cyprus, the supporting agency, for their commitment to achieving the objectives of this action. Ensuring our country's resilience to climate change, in the light of sustainable development principles, can only be achieved through synergies and support of local communities and citizen awareness and it is important to see organisations aiming in this direction.
Thank you for your attention.
(MKE)
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