STUDY BY STUDENTS OF NIKOLAIDEIO GYMNASIUM OF PAPHOS ON THE ENVIRONMENT - Filenews 30/3 by Dora Christodoulou
The impact of fires on the environment, the risks to biodiversity and the risk to human health and quality of life from the now nightmarish summers we live in this sector, deals with a study prepared by students of the Nikolaideio Gymnasium of Paphos within the framework of the institution Young Journalists for the Environment.
The study was carried out by the students Chrysovalanto Andreou, Anna Antoniou Savvia and Anastasios Saparillas, with Flora Frageskou, Chemistry teacher, supervising teacher.
In the study, the children of Nikolaideio emphasize that the dimensions that the phenomenon of forest fires is taking on in our country are now frightening. From statistical data from the Department of Forests, for the decade 2016-2025 the average number of fires per year amounts to 186, it is pointed out, and especially for the period April - October, due to high temperatures, the risk of explosion and expansion of fires is increased, with an average of 163 fires.
Referring to the data of the Department of Forests and citing data from a large volume of literature, the students point out that most forest fires are linked to human activities, either negligently or intentionally.
The effects of forest fires are most often irreversible for the environment, both on fauna and flora, the study said. The ecosystem of the area is being destroyed and what remains is ashes.
Animals that manage to escape, such as mouflons, which are a protected and emblematic species of the Cypriot fauna, with the Paphos forest as the main habitat, are also in serious danger. After a large forest fire, what remains is a "dead" environment. The lack of food and water leads them to new, foreign territories. They are often targeted by poachers, while at the same time they are exposed to various dangers, as a result of which their population is dramatically reduced.
However, we also see effects on the flora with the future of the ecosystem being destroyed, it is also mentioned. Burning trees and shrubs strips the soil and destroys vegetation. At the same time, soil deterioration is observed in large forest fires.
In the study of the children of the Nikolaideio Gymnasium of Paphos, it is also emphasized that a chain of disasters follows forest fires with consequences that negatively affect every living organism and every natural resource, especially in the soil, water, and even the atmosphere. The soil is the "living organism" on which the forest rests, and after a fire, erosion occurs. The landscape is changing dramatically. The greenery, the precious lung of life, is lost.
Negative effects are found in the most important elements for human survival, in water and in the air. According to experts, air pollution is observed, since huge amounts of carbon dioxide and microparticles are released during combustion. This fact burdens the quality of the air we breathe and at the same time enhances the greenhouse effect. Also, ash and combustion residues are carried away by rains in springs, rivers and aquifers, the study emphasizes.
The chemicals released pass into the food chain, affecting our health in the long term, the students report in their study. They analyze the consequences on the respiratory system, cardiovascular problems, toxic burden, irritations to the human body and the psychology of people after a catastrophic fire.
The restoration of a burnt forest ecosystem is extremely time-consuming, the study emphasizes, since as the head of the Department of Forests, Dr. Ezekiel, the process can take from 80 to 200 years depending on the type of forest.
For this reason, the students point out, the response strategy is based on the triptych "Prevention, Preparedness and Repression". Prevention through legislation and information is considered critical, while immediate anti-erosion projects (such as logs) after the fire are necessary to "brake" further environmental degradation. Overall, addressing the problem requires close cooperation between the state and citizens, as the protection of the forest is inextricably linked to ensuring the quality of life and health of all of us, they emphasize.
In conclusion, the authors of the study conclude that undoubtedly, forest fires are one of the most serious threats to the natural environment of Cyprus and unfortunately the evidence now clearly proves that human activity, whether intentional or negligent, is responsible for lighting the fires.
Protecting forests is crucial to prevent natural disasters. This implies that it is the obligation of all of us to prevent fires, the study concludes.
