SUBJECT: European Union conservation policy and local perspectives: the Cyprus case
AUTHOR: Marina Michaelidou
DATE: 23rd April 2003

KEYWORDS: Rural development, community participation, local values, Habitats directive.

SUMMARY: The author discusses how local perspectives need to be taken into consideration during the implementation of EU conservation policies.

The enlargement of the European Union (EU) presents new challenges for nature conservation and rural communities, particularly for the recently acceded countries. These countries are faced with the difficult task of conforming to EU conservation policies, while taking into consideration local socio-cultural values and concerns on the other. In 2002, a qualitative inquiry involving 112 individuals from three mountain communities located in the Pafos Forest of Cyprus was implemented to explore how local people value the natural environment and how they perceive EU conservation policies. In addition, local interest in participating in the development of conservation plans was assessed.

The three selected communities have traditionally depended on the forest to sustain their livelihoods. Today, like many rural communities across Europe, these mountain villages are facing decline, due to the lack of viable employment opportunities. The inquiry revealed that local people have great respect for the forest. People appreciate the historical contribution of the forest towards sustaining their lives and livelihoods during times of poverty, drought, and war. The local appreciation towards the forest is not limited to the direct benefits of food and employment, but also extends to the ecological, aesthetic, and cultural significance of the forest.

The inquiry further revealed that local people face EU conservation policies with skepticism and are concerned that these policies will negatively impact their lives. Many people argue that the EU seeks to enhance forest protection, at the expense of local practices, such as agriculture and timber felling. For example, through the implementation of Habitats Directive in Cyprus, which is EU’s main policy regarding nature conservation, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the promotion of ecotourism, as an alternative occupation for local people. Ecotourism is pursued by public agencies in Cyprus in the belief that it will be more beneficial for nature conservation. Local are concerned about this strong emphasis placed on tourism, because tourism revenues are often inequitably distributed and opportunities are mostly captured by large tourist companies in urban centers. Furthermore, local people fear that the decline of traditional practices, such as agriculture and animal husbandry, does not only negatively affect their communities, but is also harmful for the forest. Finally, local residents indicated their strong desire to have more input in the design of policies that affect their lives.

It is suggested that during the implementation of EU conservation policies in Cyprus and other countries that have recently joined the Union, local government agencies should work with village institutions so that they do not exacerbate the decline of rural communities. Instead of placing a priority on the sustainability of habitats and species, these agencies should re-direct their efforts towards maintaining both cultural and biological diversity. Rather than deciding what occupations are compatible with nature conservation and imposing them upon local people, countries implementing these policies can work with rural people to determine what occupations are suitable and desirable for them and their culture and pursue those occupations, along with nature conservation.

The different needs and aspirations of people across generations may require a pluralistic approach in dealing with mountain community viability and not a focus on a single occupation, such as ecotourism. People in mountain communities, like those of the Pafos Forest, support forest and wildlife conservation, but at the same time wish to sustain their villages. They will therefore be more sympathetic of policies that address the viability of their village communities together with the viability of the forest, than of policies that ignore their overall well-being. Only through citizen participation and an emphasis on both cultural and biological diversity will EU policies succeed in meeting their objectives. Finally, the decentralization of EU conservation policies would better enable the incorporation of diverse local values as they apply to different regions of the EU.

References:

European Commission. (2000). Natura 2000. European Comission DG Env Nature Newsletter 13.
Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment. (1999).
National Forest Programme of Cyprus and National Forest Policy Statement. Nicosia, Cyprus.
Michaelidou, M. (2002). Moving Beyond Colonial Perspectives in Conservation: Sustaining Forests, Wildlife and Mountain Villages in Cyprus. A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Michaelidou, M., D. J. Decker, and J. P. Lassoie. (2002). The Interdependence of Ecosystem and Community Viability: a Theoretical Framework to Guide Research and Application. Society and Natural Resources, 15(7), 599-616.
Michaelidou, M. and D. J. Decker. (2001). Challenges and opportunities facing wildlife conservation and cultural sustainability in the Pafos Forest, Cyprus: historical overview and contemporary perspective. Proceedings for the 25th Congress of the International Union of Game Biologists – IUGB.
Neumann, R. P. (1997). Primitive ideas: Protected Area Buffer Zones and the Politics of Land in Africa. Development and Change 28(3), 559-582.
Valaoras, G. (2000). ‘Conservation and Development in Greek Mountain Areas.’ In: Tourism and Development in Mountain Regions, eds. P. M. Godde, M. F. Price, and F. M. Zimmermann, pp. 69-83. Oxon, U.K.: CABI Publishing, CAB International.

A contribution by:

Marina Michaelidou
Human Dimensions Research Unit
Department of Natural Resources
Cornell University, Fernow Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-3001