Residents of Mazotos are opposing plans for a desalination plant in the coastal community, warning that the facility could damage an undeveloped stretch of coastline and protected marine habitats.
In a letter issued on behalf of the Initiative Group to Save the Mazotos Coast, representative Eleni Haili also accused authorities of proceeding without public consultation or a full environmental assessment.
Haili described the proposed location as “the last untouched coast remaining in the Larnaca district and one of the last in Cyprus”, warning that the project could cause extensive environmental damage.
She said the seabed in the area contains Posidonia seagrass and expressed concern that the discharge of brine and chemical waste could affect the protected habitats.
According to Haili, Posidonia meadows help maintain seawater quality, absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. She also described desalination plants as “extremely energy-intensive industries” that place an additional burden on the environment.
The residents’ representative claimed the decision had been taken “without any information and without public consultation with the community”.
She added that no full environmental study had been completed, saying that only an information report had been prepared and alleging that it contained errors.
“People are outraged,” Haili wrote, arguing that the project would damage a beach with crystal-clear waters and reduce residents’ quality of life.
The group claims the proposed plant would cover less than 4% of the country’s water needs and is calling on the government to examine alternative options.
These could include expanding existing desalination facilities or waiting until permanent plants are completed, Haili said.
“We are unequivocally opposed to this project being built in our area,” she concluded. “We demand respect from the government.”
Desalination: A solution to water shortages or the destruction of our environment and way of life?
We constantly read reports saying that we must not become complacent and that desalination plants must be built because the country has not yet moved beyond a state of emergency. However, desalination is a drastic solution and should be used sparingly, as it causes serious environmental damage, particularly when projects are implemented hastily and without proper planning.
In the case of Mazotos, such a project would destroy an untouched stretch of coastline, the last remaining in the Larnaca district and one of the last in Cyprus. It would cause enormous environmental damage because the seabed is covered with Posidonia seagrass. Brine and chemical waste would destroy these protected habitats, which help maintain the cleanliness of the seawater. Posidonia also absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen, making a positive contribution to tackling climate change.
By contrast, the desalination plants the state intends to build contribute to climate change. They are extremely energy-intensive industries that generate emissions because of the vast amounts of electricity they consume, which is produced by burning heavy fuel oil. Instead of protecting the environment, they destroy it, leading to a deterioration in seawater quality along our beaches. Decisions taken arbitrarily, without information or any public consultation, are determining our future and our living conditions.
Mazotos is a coastal village with natural beaches and crystal-clear waters precisely because there has been no government intervention or development to date. They now intend to install a heavy industrial plant that will constitute a major intervention in our area and destroy our sea.
The sea is the lifeblood of Mazotos. If it is destroyed, our lives will be destroyed too. Stop!
An environmental crime is about to be committed in the Mazotos community while everyone, including the Department of Environment and the ministries, remains inactive and claims that this is an emergency project. The decision was taken without any information or public consultation with the community. No full environmental study has been completed to date. Only an information report has been prepared, and it contains errors.
People are outraged. They will destroy an untouched beach with crystal-clear waters and reduce our quality of life. This project will cover less than 4% of the country’s water needs. Since rainfall has improved conditions in the reservoirs, they can wait and expand the existing plants or wait until permanent facilities are built.
We are unequivocally opposed to this project being built in our area. We demand respect from the government.
