The development of a strategic plan that will strengthen the sustainability of the communities of Moni, Monagrouli and Pentakomo in the area of East Limassol, begins within the framework of the research project, EmpowerUs, which is funded by the European Union and is ongoing in a total of six coastal areas in Europe. The aim of the project is to empower and support coastal local communities and to promote specific actions, in order to achieve the transition to a sustainable, inclusive coastal development of local communities that ensures the resilience of the coastline.
This is the "Kavo Dolos" Strategic Community Development Plan, which is coordinated by the Limassol District Development Company LTD (ANELEM) and the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute. As reported to "Entrepreneurial Limassol" by its participants, the Strategic Community Development Plan - Kavo Dolos seeks to identify ways to address the most important challenges faced by the coastal area between the boundaries of the communities of Moni, Monagrouli and Pentakomo. The area, as they explained to us, hosts a mosaic of important habitats, but also important flora and fauna, which remains neglected and its significance unknown. At the same time, industries operating in the area cause significant environmental concerns, both for the residents and for its users.
The EmpowerUs project attempts to engage and collaborate with the local communities and users of the area, local authorities and relevant government agencies, in order to analyze and map its ecological, social and environmental values. The result will be the creation of the strategic plan that will include specific actions and actions that will promote its sustainable development.
Through participatory workshops and consultations that have already started, the concerns, knowledge and ideas of the local communities and users of the area are collected, so that the strategic plan includes a variety of ideas and important interventions, participatory activities and infrastructure improvements. "This pilot project will be an important first step towards sustainability", emphasize the organizations that "run" it.
Update on the "Kavo Dolos" Community Development Strategic Plan and the wider project is available on the official EmpowerUs website, X and LinkedIn. Those interested in participating in the project can contact by e-mail the Senior Scientific Researcher at the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute Maria Hadjimichael (maria.hadjimichael@cmmi.blue), or connect through the official Facebook page.
Last November, the EmpowerUs project team in Cyprus, in an effort to cultivate marine and coastal literacy among the younger generations, organized the educational event, "Knowing my Coast", for students and staff from the local primary school "Agioi Anargyri Moni -Monagrouli". Through the activity, the group introduced 70 children and their teachers to the ecological wealth of the local coastline with the aim of creating a sense of pride for it. On the beach of Moni, the children were introduced to the importance of the sand dunes and its characteristic black rock and to the recently designated Marine Protected Area of Agios Georgios Alamanos. There they learned about the mosaic of marine habitats that serve as an important resting place for the endangered Mediterranean seal. They also visited the research facilities of the Cyprus PROTEAS Institute where students and professors were given a guided tour and informed about the important research being carried out on renewable energy sources.
EmpowerUs is a three-year, €6 million project funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe program, with 16 partners from 9 countries. It started in October 2022 and will last until September 2025.
