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Description
PyrAnakampsi project addresses Outcomes 1 and 3, viz., Increased Citizen Participation in Civic Activities, and Enhanced Capacity of Civil Society. The project focuses on under-served geographic areas and communities impacted or endangered by wildfires, responding to calls from local authorities and communities for support and advice concerning their deliberations with officials and their future prospects.
In 2021 wildfires destroyed 55.000 sq klm in upland Larnaca and Limassol, preceded by earlier fires in Morfou and Halevga. Unless aware of the broader effects of erosion, biodiversity loss, and climate change, speedy recovery actions may harm long-term prospects for residents, productive lands, and ecosystems. PyrAnakampsi aims to provide both GC and TC communities, and CSOs, with an understanding of these impacts; to empower them by developing their capacities to engage with authorities and influence decisions that affect their community and their heritage; and to upscale volunteer skills to deal practically with the area.
Laona Foundation, with 29 years’ experience in community involvement, leads; partnered by Cyprus Environmental Initiative (CEI), a TC informal group, active in environmental and community engagement. The project will offer its expertise to three cooperating CSOs: Phoenix, an action group formed after the fires; the volunteers of Plant 300k Trees, and KEMA (Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion) established by TC foresters. It will also address youth groups, Apodimi, and local leaders. ‘PyrΑnankampsi’ will deliver active local communities understanding sustainability issues, enhanced NGOs, and volunteers trained for fire-prone areas.