According to the new environmental NGO Elders Creating Green Communities, the population of 250 communities in southern Cyprus has more than halved since the 1973 census.

The agency, established in September 2023, announced on Tuesday, October 15, that 64 percent of the 250 communities are in the area of Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos. The population of these regions of the island “tragically declined” after the Turkish invasion.

According to the 1973 census, 94,000 people lived in these communities, while the 2021 census showed that this figure had decreased to 42,500 people, recording a 55 percent decrease.

In the same communities, 227 primary schools were closed, representing 91 percent of the total.

Activists called on to support communities in adapting to the European Green Agreement said that the Republic of Cyprus is a “single ecosystem” and that environmental pollution in the north should be taken into account in the total carbon dioxide emissions of the Republic of Cyprus so that it can claim compensation from Turkey.

The document also says that the government’s community greening program, launched in early 2024, may become an incentive to increase the population in remote settlements.

A source: cyprus-mail.com

https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/naselenie-dereven-kipra-sokratilos-vdvoe