Important meeting on the management of protected areas
International experts visit Cyprus
An important meeting was held today at the Environmental Information and Education Centre of Athalassa Park, between representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Interior, Finance and State Ministry of Tourism, as well as relevant Departments and Agencies in the fields of environment, tourism, economics and development planning. The meeting was about: "Investing in integrated and multi-dimensional management of protected areas to create economic, social and environmental benefits."
The role of protected areas is primarily seen as a tool for biodiversity protection, however, the fact that protected areas can also contribute to economic and social development and recovery is overlooked. This meeting presented the approach, ways and steps to achieve these objectives and discussed the challenges and opportunities for their implementation in the case and on the basis of Cyprus' data. The event was attended by experts from Cyprus and abroad with extensive experience in the economic, social and environmental aspects of protected area management.
This meeting was held on the occasion of the three-day conference organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment on the theme: Conservation, Management and Governance of Protected Areas - Implementation in the Akamas Peninsula, which will take place from tomorrow, 23 November to Friday, 25 November 2022 in Akamas, at the Droushia Heights Hotel.
This conference aims to present and disseminate international experiences, good practices and successful examples of integrated management of protected areas and discuss their implementation in Cyprus and in particular in the case of the Akamas Peninsula.
The conference has invited and will be attended by distinguished international experts and will focus on issues such as the development of sustainable tourism around protected areas, the implementation of sustainable development models at local and national level focusing on protected areas, the implementation of investments in protected areas in order to create environmental, economic and social benefits, consultation and participatory management with stakeholders and the local community, etc. The invited experts come from International Organizations such as the World Bank, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the European Network of Protected Areas (Europarc Federation), Universities and other Protected Areas.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mr. Kostas Kadis, in his statements said the following: "Akamas is an area of unique natural and cultural wealth, which we have an obligation to protect, enhance and manage properly. We must plan the management of Akamas, taking into account the most successful practices developed internationally. The conference we are organising is precisely an excellent opportunity to enrich the knowledge of all stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the management of the Akamas, drawing on the best examples of protected areas worldwide. We believe that the knowledge and experience gained through the conference will help us turn the challenges we face as a state into opportunities. By using the right tools and the experience of other successful examples, I am confident that we can adopt management models for these valuable areas that will achieve biodiversity conservation along with sustainable economic and social development at local and national level."
(OP/EHR)
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