Filenews 10 July 2023 - by Angelos Nicolaou
The construction of projects for the protection and improvement of the southwest coasts of the Municipalities of Pafos and Geroskipou is being examined again by the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee next Tuesday. After the rejection of the initial design of the project, as submitted, a redesign was carried out in order to comply with the recommendations of the Environmental Authority.
The Department of Environment has prepared a screening report for the assessment of the impact on protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network. He concluded that the proposed project is not expected to have a significant impact on Natura 2000 sites and/or important species and marine habitats.
The new plans include the construction of 14 new breakwaters and 5 cantilever piers. It remains an existing breakwater.
According to researchers, the impact of Posidonia meadows is limited to a total area of 1,000 sq.m. compared to the initial layout of the five breakwaters (K8-K12), compared to 1,506sq.m. by moving them towards the coast – as presented in the Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIA).
Furthermore, three overhangs (P6-P8) have been removed from the original design. Essentially, it is proposed to construct three new breakwaters (K1, K2, K3) and to demolish the existing ones under the special and specialized conditions of the Department of Antiquities that will ensure that they will not affect any archaeological findings.
The area of the area under study has a total length of about 4 km. and is located on the southwestern coastal front of Cyprus. The study area – adjacent to the T1c Planning Zone – is divided into 6 sub-areas which are bounded by the Paphos Municipal Bathrooms to the west and the hotel "Louis Phaethon Beach" to the southeast.
According to the redesign of the projects, the study area is defined by 6 sub-areas.
In sub-area 1: Hotel "Porto Pafos" to Hotel "Anabelle", the construction of projects is not proposed, neither in coastal nor at sea.
In sub-area 2: Hotel "Anabelle" to hotel "Amphora Resort", it is proposed to rearrange and construct the new breakwaters K1, K2 and K3 and to demolish the existing ones, under the special and specialized conditions of the Department of Antiquities that will ensure that no archaeological findings will be affected.
The excavation of the surface sediment is proposed to be done using an aspirator under the supervision of archaeologists / divers. It is proposed to maintain the existing breakwater K5, as well as the construction of detached freeboard breakwaters K4, K6 and K7. The breakwaters K1, K6 and K7 will be 100m long. each and K2, K3 and K4 will be 120m long. It is also proposed to demolish the 3 existing overhangs, as well as the artificial replenishment of the 20m wide beaches.
In sub-area 3: Hotel "Amphora Resort" to hotel "Louis Imperial Beach", it is proposed to construct a system of 3 oblique detached breakwaters K8, K9, K10 length 100m. which are removed from the coast by 25 m and reduction of their bearing width, according to the initial location proposed in the framework of the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA). It is proposed to construct the 1m long P40 overhang, to maintain part of the pier on the leeward side of the K8 breakwater that will function as a cantilever and will delimit the system of oblique breakwaters and the artificial replenishment of the coasts.
In sub-area 4: Hotel "Louis Imperial Beach" to hotel "Louis Ledra Beach", it is proposed to construct a system of 2 detached breakwaters K11 (length 130m) and K12 (length 120m) which are removed from the shore by 40m. and reduction of their bearing width, in line with their original design proposed under the EIA. It is also proposed to construct the 2m long P35 overhang, to remove the pier in the shadow of the K12 breakwater and to artificially replenish the coasts.
In sub-area 5: Hotel "Louis Ledra Beach" to hotel "Constantinou Bros Pioneer Beach", it is proposed to construct a system of 3 detached breakwaters K13, K14 and K15 with a length of 120m, the construction of 3 piers P3, P4 and P5 of 40m, 40m and 35m length respectively, the demolition of the existing piers, the preservation of part of the pier in the opening between breakwaters K14 and K15 and the artificial replenishment of the bays.
In sub-area 6: Hotel "Louis Phaethon Beach", the construction of works is not proposed since the overhangs P6, P7 and P8 are removed from the new design.
According to the data available to DFMR, the "Reefs" habitats (1170) are found in the study area in an area of 1,038,931 sq.m. (75.33% coverage rate in the study area), "Sandbanks continuously covered by shallow sea water" (1110), in an area of 147.381sq.m. (10.69% coverage rate in the study area), and the priority habitat Posidonia meadows (1120) in an area of 192.873sq.m. (13.98% coverage rate in the study area).
Regarding the impact of marine ecosystems, during the construction phase of the proposed projects, it is expected that they focus on the embankments for the creation of the detached breakwaters and on any local pollution from the movements of the floating means of construction of the projects. The construction of new breakwaters and cantilever is expected to result in the destruction of an area of 9,329 sq.m. (corresponds to a loss of 6.33% of the habitat of the study area) in a sandy substrate (natural habitat type 1110 Sandbanks constantly covered by shallow sea water), of an area of 38.755sq.m. (loss of 3.7%) in bedrock (natural habitat type 1170 reefs) and area 1.354sq.m. (loss of 0.7%) with Posidonia meadows (1120 areas of sea vegetation with Posidonia).
The main recipient of the marine ecosystem that will be affected by the construction works of the proposed projects will be the benthic organisms of the study area and especially the established organisms that cannot move / escape immediately. Similar effects on benthic organisms are expected to occur due to the use of a mechanism for placing boulders which will not be navigable, but will rest on the bottom.
One of the expected environmental impacts during the construction phase of the proposed projects is turbidity due to disturbance of the seabed (sediments) of the sea area.
Also, a possible impact is the influence of seabirds, mainly due to noise and human presence in the wider area, since the preliminary results of the special research study conducted by the Game and Fauna Service, indicate that the rocky islet of Moulies may be important for seabirds. It is noted that the southwest coast of Pafos, from Kato Paphos Harbour to the small peninsula at Moulia in Geroskipou, is the most important coastal area for seabird species.
INTERVENTION
Do not lose the ecological value of the area
The proposed breakwater and cantilever siting area does not appear to be experiencing severe erosion along its entire length and thus the construction of such a large project, with consequent destruction of a large area of marine habitats, is not justified. Therefore, the aim of the project is to create sandy beaches and not to protect and improve the coastal front.
Nevertheless, significant efforts were made by the municipalities of Pafos and Geroskipou to limit the impact on an area of particular ecological value and great archaeological importance. The final word rests with the Environmental Authority being consulted by imposing sufficient essential conditions and effective mitigation measures to prevent significant alteration and destruction of the marine environment on the southwest coast of Cyprus.
