Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus’s buffer zone has developed into an area of increased biodiversity, as limited human activity over decades has enabled wildlife and plant species to expand, according to Professor Costas Constantinou.
Ecological recovery
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency on Saturday, Constantinou said the area had become an ecological space where reduced human interference allowed nature to recover.
“Ironically and as an unintended consequence of the creation of the buffer zone, there is an ecological benefit and revitalisation of nature in areas from which people were forcibly displaced,” he said.
The zone, monitored by UN peacekeepers, is not entirely uninhabited. It includes villages, agricultural activity, livestock units, solar parks and meeting points for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot groups.
Research findings
Research by Constantinou and Dr Evi Eftychiou found that reduced human activity had allowed species facing decline to recover.
Biodiversity surveys recorded increased populations of hares, endemic mice, birds, lizards, hedgehogs, turtles and other wildlife.
Constantinou highlighted the Famagusta wetlands around Varosha, where reed beds and natural habitats have remained protected compared with nearby developed areas.
Risks and cooperation
The research also identified challenges in the buffer zone, including packs of wild dogs that have become major predators and can attack people and livestock, as well as risks of disease transmission.
Constantinou said the area supports cooperation between the two communities through shared agricultural practices and grazing, reflecting local relationships that have continued despite the island’s partition.
