Cyprus’s “dead zone”—a product of the brutal Turkish invasion and the division it imposed—is anything but dead. Behind the barbed wire and the line of separation, nature has “taken advantage” of the absence of humans to reclaim the space, creating an unexpected haven of biodiversity. An area that for decades has symbolized the division of the island has evolved into one of Cyprus’s most important ecological enclaves.

“Ironically, and as an unintended consequence of the creation of the buffer zone, there has been an ecological benefit and a revitalization of nature in areas from which people were forcibly displaced,” said Costas Constantinou, Professor of International Relations at the University of Cyprus, in a statement to CNA.

The professor emphasized, among other things, that the ecological character the dead zone has acquired can be preserved and enhanced through a careful and balanced resettlement of the people who were forcibly evicted from their homes, in accordance with strict environmental standards.

The “Living” Buffer Zone

Dr. Konstantinou told CNA that the so-called “dead zone,” which is under United Nations supervision, is an area where people live and carry out their daily activities. “Beyond the United Nations peacekeeping force, there are entire villages within the buffer zone, agricultural crops, livestock farms, solar farms, etc.,” he said, adding that non-non-governmental organizations have been established and spaces for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to meet have been created, where bicommunal technical committees and, more broadly, civil society come together.

The socio-ecological activity that has developed in the buffer zone was the subject of a publication by Dr. Konstantinos, in collaboration with Dr. Evi Eftychiou, currently a lecturer at the University of Nicosia, in 2014. According to the publication, “the absence of human activity created the conditions for nature to reclaim the area and for endangered species to multiply.”

According to data cited in the publication, biodiversity surveys within the dead zone have shown an increase in wildlife species, such as hares, the endemic mouse, birds (the Eurasian skylark, the Eurasian blackcap, and the Eurasian warbler), lizards, hedgehogs, turtles, and wild boars.

Dr. Konstantinou told KYPE that an example of nature’s revival, “impressive and at the same time tragic,” as he put it, is the village of Variseia and the surrounding area, “which is the most essential natural habitat for the endangered wild goat.” Due to limited human access, wild boars seek refuge and thrive particularly in the buffer zone, with more than 300 wild boars having been recorded in this specific village, according to the publication.

Another example in the urban landscape, according to the professor, is the turtles of the Klimos River in the buffer zone at Agios Dometios. “In contrast to the areas of Engomi and Agios Dometios, where the Klimos River has been completely paved over to create a linear walking path for people, in the buffer zone, the reed beds and wetlands have been preserved and are protected as an important ecosystem,” he emphasizes.

On the other hand, the study also mentions ecological risks arising from the abandonment of the area. Specifically, it mentions packs of wild dogs, which have become the top predators, creating new ecosystems within the dead zone, with new food chains that often cause problems, such as attacks on humans and sheep, while also posing risks of disease transmission, such as echinococcosis.

As for the flora, the publication mentions endemic plants that have also found a place to flourish, with particular reference to mandrakes, tulips, and orchids.

“Ironically, and as an unintended consequence of the creation of the buffer zone, there has been an ecological benefit and a revitalization of nature in areas from which people were forcibly displaced. The same is true in areas of Nicosia where urban sprawl has, in effect, come to a halt,” Dr. Konstantinou told CNA.

Beyond that, the publication also refers to human agricultural activity within the buffer zone, following authorization from the United Nations. Specifically, it highlights practices of co-management and cooperation between the two communities, resulting in the flourishing of mixed farming and grazing, while in other areas this activity is declining due to overtourism.

Furthermore, within the buffer zone, there is potential for the development of organic farming, free from fertilizers and pesticides.

Dr. Konstantinou noted that there are economic partnerships involving shared crops and grazing lands, as well as an informal economy and smuggling between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots within thezone.

Such collaborations are particularly prevalent in areas where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have traditionally cooperated, such as Potamia, Dali, Lybia, Louroutzina, and Pyla, he notes.

“From one perspective, this cooperation highlights the deep, long-standing ties between the two communities at the local level and how ordinary people, amidst the violent division ‘and conflicting nationalisms,’ find things that unite them, common interests, and generally forge relationships of coexistence,” the professor said.

He added, however, that it is important not to idealize this situation, because there are also serious problems, such as the uncontrolled movement of animals carrying diseases, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, etc. These, he notes, “could, to some extent, be addressed and healthy cooperation strengthened, under the supervision of the bicommunal technical committees and UNFICYP.” This happens occasionally to some extent, he noted, but in light of “the inevitable and long-standing problems faced by all initiatives concerning the Joint Management Bodies while the Cyprus problem remains unresolved.”

Based on the above, Dr. Konstantinou stated that “consequently, the term ‘dead zone’ does not accurately and fully capture what exists and occurs within this area.” On the contrary, he adds, “it creates a sense of mystery, but also of abandonment and being left off the map, except when problems occasionally arise.”

Furthermore, he notes that nature’s reclaiming of the space is a phenomenon frequently observed in military demilitarized zones, such as in divided Korea. “Around the world, these demilitarized zones take on an ecological character over time, once they become established.”

The installation of barbed wire is “problematic and irrational”

When asked if there are still areas of the buffer zone that have not been adequately studied, he said that the diversity within the buffer zone has not been sufficiently studied or understood. “In some disputed areas, such as Deneia and the Pyla Plateau, the situation is very different from, for example, the Ledra Palace area or Athienou.”

He also added that the Republic of Cyprus has not sufficiently acknowledged that, following the opening of the roadblocks and the demining, and the resulting accessibility and relative normality that has been restored, new complex governance issues have arisen. “The buffer zone is not simply a neutral zone of military significance; rather, there are needs and demands from the people and communities on both sides of the dividing line,” he emphasized.

For this reason, he added, “the installation of barbed wire in the buffer zone was entirely problematic and irrational, without any meaningful consultation by the Cypriot government with local stakeholders, a move criticized by both the United Nations and local communities. And ultimately, following widespread outcry, the Cypriot government decided to remove it.”

The Consequences and Conditions of the Return

Responding to the question of what the consequences would be for the region’s biodiversity in the event of a return to human activity, the professor said that if the return of human activity to areas where biodiversity has been enriched is not carefully managed, “the consequences will be entirely negative, even catastrophic.”

“Unrestrained human activity in the dead zone—where it occurs under the pretext that it is a ‘dead’ and ‘unexploited’ area— has an ecological impact that we may rationalize and overlook in public discourse because it is less visible,” he emphasized.

Even potential ecological activities, such as the creation of bicommunal solar farms, can affect habitats, agricultural land, and pastures if not carried out carefully, he noted.

When asked about the role of environmental diplomacy in the case of the dead zone, he said that it can certainly be put to good use. “It is important, however, that this be done through substantive actions that combine transitional and environmental justice,” he said, emphasizing that the resettlement of people who were forcibly evicted from their villages in the dead zone must be carried out on the basis of a strategic ecological plan.

“This is what the community of Variseia has been asking the United Nations to do for years, recognizing the ecosystem that has been created, but unfortunately, resettlement in the villages of the buffer zone does not appear to be a priority for the MOE. Wrong and unfair, in my opinion,” he said.

On the issue of resettlement in the abandoned villages of the buffer zone, Dr. Konstantinou, in collaboration with the Senior Research Advisor at the PRIO Cyprus Centre, Mete Hatay, prepared a policy brief highlighting the long-standing demands of displaced Cypriots for the return of the four villages located within the buffer zone — Petrofani, Variseia, Agios Nikolaos, and Agios Georgios Soleas — which have not yet been considered as potential areas for return by either the United Nations or the authorities on both sides.

“If the literature on successful ecological parks around the world teaches us anything, it is how important it is to involve the local community in ecological protection, rather than forcibly displacing people from nature as a means of protecting it,” he emphasizes.

“That is why I believe that the ecological character the dead zone has acquired can be preserved and enhanced through a careful and balanced resettlement of people, in accordance with strict environmental standards. Otherwise, all of this unexpected and significant ecological value that has been created will be lost if the status quo changes in the future,” he concluded.

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Source: CNA