Ecological Ethics: Destruction of ‘’Pendadactilos Mountains’’ in the Northern Cyprus

For years now, Cyprus have never been able to escape the intimidating sight on the Pendadactilos range, due to the destruction on the mountains, that not only impose an environmental hazard, but also effects human beings and also anyone travelling to Cyprus, as a tourist. One can easily see a full view mountain disaster on the way to capital Nicosia. This disturbing picture creates harm moral and damages confidence. One might see the same mountain destruction in the South Cyprus as well. Both sides very often are using dynamite to obtain raw soil and stone building materials from mountain in order to prepare sand and pebbles for building construction, to the cities and villages in the island.

It is interesting that there are not many people to express their feelings for the destruction of mountains which is unethical and reflecting deeply intimidating sight. Now there are a lot of universities in Cyprus, educating departments of an university which host to thousands students each year, teaching the subjects of geology, ecology, and also history but they are not touching this remark as it should be.

One might also say, why Cypriots are not aware from the disaster of the natural beauty, the ecosystems and the majesty of mountains? Meanwhile, every day this unethical approach to a mountain beheaded and chop off our souls, but nobody worked their way through the court.

Here are the views of the Geological Department authorities in the Northern Cyprus:

Before the time of Cyprus Republic, during the British administration there were few stone quarries on the mountains for preparing building materials as sand and pebbles -in geological terminology it is ‘’agrega’’-. That is to say, in colonial British time agrega was provided mainly from the sea.

After 1960’s during Cyprus Republic, year by year the number of the stone quarries were increased. Unfortunately, however, agrega were found to be easy and more qualified for construction.

In the Northern Cyprus, nowadays they are about 17 stone quarries in the Pendadactilos range. I do believe that this number is very high for this small country, Cyprus. One might see the effect of the politicians in this issue. It is known that, the quality of agrega of the Pendadactilos is the best in the island. We are giving permission to remove stones for using only for domestic constructions not selling to the overseas countries or even the South Cyprus. We do believe that it helps our economy more than enough. Our office thinks, the intimiating sight of the destruction on the mountain should be rehabilitated and we are planning to rehabilitate the destructed mountain one by one. Actually, Pentadactyl range is natural heritage, a part of the region’s rural culture and it draws millions of tourists every year.’’

Up to now, for the sake of production building materials without trying to rehabilitate even one of a stone quarry, on the way capital Nicosia to Famagusta and also between the cities Nicosia to Kyrenia, authorities, every person who lives in this community and specially politicians are responsible from this mountain disaster.

It is hard to understand how this issue remains uncertain since data and images sensing should be seen by Cypriots as valuable tools specially for scientists and policymakers. We believe, Cypriots should be interested in understanding and visualizing the widespread impact of this type of destruction of the Pendadactilos mountains landscape.