Improving the conservation status of the priority habitat types *1520 and *5220 at the Rizoelia National Forest Park

Department of Forests

The Department of Forests comes under the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and has a dual role. DF is the competent authority for both the management of national forest land and also for the implementation of national forest legislation and policy. Within this framework, DF is engaged with forest fire protection, management, landscape and nature conservation, reforestations and management of state forests that are part of the Natura 2000 network. Additionally, DF has long experience in implementing various European co-funded projects including LIFE and non-LIFE projects such as EEA Grant Projects. Currently is involved in the implementation of at least eight running projects most of which have a nature conservation content.

Department of Environment

The Department of Environment (DE) is placed at the Permanent Secretary's Office and, among others, is the coordinating service for Government programs for the protection of the environment, is the head of the technical committee on environmental impact assessments, advises on environmental policy, is mandated to ensure the implementation of the environmental policy, administers the Law on the Control of Water Pollution, coordinates the process for the adoption of the European Union's environmental policy and legislation, coordinates the co-operation of Government agencies with international agencies and promotes environmental awareness, training and information. DE is also the National Focal Point for the Commission of Sustainable Development, INFOTERPA, UNEP, the Basel Convention, CITES, the Montreal Protocol, the Biological Diversity Convention, the Climate Change Convention, etc.

DE covers legal and regulatory issues concerned with the implementation of the Habitat Directive in Cyprus. It is also responsible for implementation of the Habitats Directive, as well as the protection and management of Natura 2000 network in Cyprus. It is the national contact point for LIFE program as well.

DE employs professionals on environment management, natural sciences, pollution control, geology and marine ecology. It has actively participated and/or coordinated many projects that have been or are being implemented in Cyprus. The reference numbers of these projects are: LIFE98 TCY/CY/172, LIFE 04 NAT/CY/000013, LIFE08 NAT/CY/000453, LIFE08 ENV/CY/000460 and LIFE09 NAT/CY/0004247.

Frederick University

Frederick University (FU) is one of the seven recognized Universities operating in the Republic of Cyprus. It is an energetic and vibrant private university, enjoying respect and recognition both nationally and internationally. FU offers a broad range of academic programs of study. The University has a strong focus on academic research, being one of the leading research organizations in the country. The members of FU academic staff are highly qualified and have to demonstrate a rich publication record.

Since 2005, the Nature Conservation Unit (NCU) was established under FU. NCU specializes on biodiversity conservation and the management of natural resources in Cyprus. NCU is the only department in the Cypriot academic system that focuses on nature conservation.

NCU draws from the experience of several collaborating scientists, graduate and postgraduate students with extensive experience on conservation biology and natural resources management. The members of NCU have been actively involved in several biodiversity conservation projects, including LIFE projects, for the inventory, identification, evaluation and mapping of the habitat types and flora and fauna species in Greece and Cyprus. In addition, they have participated in several projects on the conservation of the endemic, rare and threatened plants of Cyprus and Greece.

Open University of Cyprus

The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) was established in 2001 as the second State Institution of University Education in Cyprus offering both undergraduate and graduate courses as well as training and vocational programs based exclusively on the open and distance learning methodology. The University has three faculties: Pure and Applied Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences and Economics and Management. The Environmental Conservation and Management Postgraduate Studies Program, School of Pure and Applied Sciences at the Open University of Cyprus was recently established with the aim to offer graduates the knowledge and transferable skills for the understanding of fundamental environmental patterns and processes and how these relate to society.