Filenews 17 June 2024
If current greenhouse gas emission rates continue and we do not take action in time, sea level rise is expected to destroy about 50% of Cyprus' beaches in the next 50 years, said George Zittis, a scientific researcher at the Cyprus Institute, Centre of Excellence for Climate and Atmospheric Research.
Dr Zittis pointed out that climate change, unlike other parts of the planet, is making Cyprus warmer and drier, with multiple impacts on nature, human health, the economy. He also noted that even today if we stopped emissions, the temperature is expected to continue to rise in the next 20-30 years and therefore measures will have to be taken to adapt to the new conditions.
"Cyprus and the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is also a climate change hot spot, are mainly affected by increasingly elevated temperatures, especially during the summer season," he said, noting that in other regions of the world, for example in the northernmost regions of Europe, this increase is mainly observed in winter.
This, he said, increases the impact, as we are in a particularly warm region. These impacts are related to increased demand for energy, for example for air conditioning, while we are seeing impacts on agricultural production, crops, but also on human health. "We have recently had two deaths from heatstroke," he said. In addition, he added that forest fires are also affected by increased summer temperatures.
Another feature of our region, he said, along with the increase in temperature, is the decrease in precipitation. "Although the trends are not as clear as temperature, we are going to drier climate averages," he said, noting that at higher latitudes climate change is contributing to an increase in precipitation.
Asked about the impact of any sea level rise, Dr. Zittis noted that in Cyprus most infrastructure, airports, ports, power stations, are located near the sea. Also, most of the tourist activity is located on the coast. "We believe they will be affected by rising sea levels," he said.
He added that if we take a pessimistic scenario, for example that we continue to emit greenhouse gases at current rates and do not take timely measures, "sea level rise is expected to destroy about 50% of Cyprus' beaches", clarifying that the forecasts concern the next 50 years.
Asked if the situation was reversible if measures were taken, he said that the measures to be taken should be in a short period of time, "that is, in the next decade to reduce the size of greenhouse gas emissions so much in order to limit this increase in temperature and the rise in sea level".
Nevertheless, he underlined, "it is such the size of the concentrations that even today if we stop emitting greenhouse gases completely, for the next 2-3 decades the temperature will continue to rise." Therefore, he said, some measures should also be taken to adapt to these increasingly hot and drier conditions.
These measures could include a more rational use of water resources, more energy efficient buildings, air conditioning, for example the debate now taking place about schools, more resilient crops in warmer and drier conditions, and even a change in our tourism model, "as our summers may be too hot even for tourists and therefore we will have to see if any opportunities arise for the slightly cooler seasons of the year year," he noted.
Asked if the measures taken by Cyprus to limit greenhouse gas emissions are sufficient, he said that Cyprus, as an EU member state, must be in line with the targets that exist at European level, which, as he said, are quite ambitious. "We are a little behind, there is room for improvement, e.g. in power generation, these efforts can be intensified," he concluded.
CNA
