Filenews 8 August 2021 - by Kostas Pafitis
Communities are being driven to complete abandonment and desolation on the outskirts of Akamas, the community leader of Inia, Yagos Tsivikos, points out in an interview with the Liberal. According to Mr. Tsikiko, the government's lack of vision for the villages of Akamas, the commitment of private property for 32 years and the lack of political will condemned the region to decline.
- What problems are the communities of Akamas facing today?
-The main problems faced by the communities of the Akamas region are the rapid decline of their population and the absence of any prospect of creating a prosperous local economy. Our region has been economically and socially excluded for three decades, so our youth move to other cities or migrate abroad. For the sake of truth, the population of akamas communities according to the 1976 census was 2,527, while in the 2011 census only 1,498 inhabitants were recorded, i.e. there was a 41% decrease in the population. Ineia, in particular, a village that a few decades ago numbered more than two thousand inhabitants, today has 450 inhabitants, the vast majority of which are elderly. The communities of Akamas are facing a serious population and demographic problem and are gradually being driven to extinction. The clock counts down to all the villages of Akamas.
- What is the main source of Akamas' problems, in your opinion?
-The decline of the communities of Akamas is due, among other things, to the zeroing of the value of a large number of private properties within Akamas in 1989. In particular, in the 1989 Declaration of Policy, large areas of Akamas and a huge number of private properties were defined by the urban designation Nature Protection and with a zero building factor, within which any development was prohibited. This was done as a precautionary measure pending the identification of areas that really need absolute protection. Since the Natura Network Management Plan has now defined the areas of the highest protection, this urban designation should also be deleted in all private properties outside the areas of the highest protection to apply the provisions governing Natura areas. However, since then, nothing has changed. Those affected are still unable to use their property either for owner-occupied or mild economic activity, and the state has never proposed compensatory measures, nor has it provided the necessary incentives to promote development in our communities. It is inconceivable, in a European country in 2021, to be deprived of a basic human right and to be treated differently from the rest of the population of the Republic.
- Why has no solution to this problem been found to date?
- The reason for not solving the problem for more than 30 years is the absence of political will. This combined with the procrastination shown by the rulers in announcing the Akamas Local Plan have condemned our communities to withering. The 18-month timetable given to us for the announcement of the Local Plan has exceeded 3.5 years and we continue. The last promise made to us by the relevant ministry was that the Local Plan would be announced in spring 2021, but spring has passed, summer is almost over and we are still waiting.
-Can the economic development of Akamas be achieved without affecting the environment?
-The government's actions to date on Akamas, with the aim of protecting the environment, but ignoring the needs of the people of the region, we consider that they lead to the desolation of communities, while not ensuring the protection of the ecosystem in the long term. Here I would like to note that the Natura 2000 Network recognises that people are an integral part of nature and that both sides perform better when they work together. Therefore, the inclusion of a region in the Natura 2000 Network does not imply a complete ban on economic activity. In fact, there are cases of Natura areas where the long-term survival of some species may depend on the continuation of human activities. The nature of Akamas for us, the people we were born here, is our second home and under no circumstances do we wish to destroy our home. We have protected Akamas to this day and will continue to protect him. We are, however, calling for a comprehensive strategy on the part of the Government, which will ensure the continuation of life in the villages of Akamas. The completion and announcement of the Local Plan for the region is now a red line.
- What do akamas communities expect from the Local Plan?
-Our request and basic condition for the survival of our communities is the inclusion of provisions in the Akamas Local Plan that will allow for mild development, always with respect for the environment. The region needs development/tourism projects that will create new jobs and incentives for young people to stay. It is remarkable that, although several replastic and other projects have been carried out within the cores of our communities in the last eight years, it has not been possible to create new jobs and growth prospects for the wider Akamas region. Particularly for remote communities, the development of their core is impossible to achieve without their interconnection with coastal development and/or with some great growth that will create jobs and real recovery conditions.
Essential incentives for young couples
- What are the main economic activities today in Akamas?
- The majority of the inhabitants are retired. The rest are mainly engaged in agri-farming, which is declining year after year since the area is barren, and is not a profession that new generations tend to choose. Also, a portion of residents work in the tourism industry, mainly in Paphos. It is a fact that it is difficult for a young man or a young couple to build their life in Akamas, especially when substantial incentives have never been given. For example, the Government recently announced €50,000 in financial assistance to young couples to build a home, but the conditions and criteria set exclude many from being beneficiaries. Based on the criteria of this Plan, the space/land intended for house building must have been transferred from parents to children after March 2021.
In addition, agricultural blocks near the residential area have been excluded from this project. There's a way to create the Akamas we envision. An Akamas where there will be jobs and incentives for our young people, schools, sports centers and university schools on the subject of the local environment, while nature and man will coexist on an equal footing. But it needs a vision from the Government and proper planning to lay the foundations for the long-term prosperity of the region.
REMOVAL AND LOCK UPS
- The pandemic left its mark on every economic activity. How has it affected Akamas' communities?
The pandemic and the restrictive measures applied to deal with it had serious effects both on the economy of the region and on the psychology of the inhabitants. Although the closure of businesses and schools and empty streets is not a new phenomenon in our region, prolonged social distancing measures have strengthened our economic and social isolation, while enhancing the image of desolation of communities. The pandemic, among other things, deprived the residents, most of them elderly, of their unique way of socializing, since the few cafes in the area remained closed for a long time. It is also worth noting that some small businesses have finally put a padlock in the midst of a pandemic.
