By Eleni Christodoulou Stylianou ~
DHEKELIA, CYPRUS (SOVEREIGN BASE AREA) — The golden beaches of Dhekelia are undergoing a revolution of sorts. Where erosion, pollution, and abandonment had been threatening vast coastal ecosystems, restoration by the Common People is bringing beaches and sea ecosystems back to new life—towards a healthier future for human beings, wildlife, and climate protection.
“Restoration in Dhekelia is evidence that good restoration can pay for itself,” an EU Coastal Conservation specialist says. “It’s evidence that things can be improved on these shores.”
Dunes, Debris, and Determination
Area Office Dhekelia joined forces with local volunteers in September 2024 to clean Pyla Beach in a huge beach-and-seabed clean-up, removing plastics, fishing nets, and trash which damaged sea creatures and turtle nesting beaches.
On the beach, man- and wind-blown sand dunes have been stabilized with planting of native grasses and sand fencing installation—endeavor facilitated by the Darwin Plus-funded “Habitat Restoration & Wise Use for Akrotiri & Cape Pyla” project.
Turtle Nesting Site Protection
Beaches of Dhekelia give the loggerhead and the green turtles, that are close to extinction, a life-saving breeding habitat. Conservation work, aided by Ministry of Defence and civilian volunteers, has witnessed 172 nests of sea turtles in 2022—a sure indication that the conservation work is finally beginning to produce results.
Nesting areas are cordoned off and patrolled by volunteers to reduce disturbance, and clearing rubbish makes hatchlings’ unbroken routes to the sea at dusk.
Community Stewards and Shared Gains
These rehabilitation exercises were not top-down directed—they were built hand-in-hand with British troops, Dhekelia citizens, and green NGOs. Beach cleanup has drawn mass-based volunteers, and dune planting exercises educate families about coastal resilience. It.
Similarly, the same collaboration ensures equilibrium between the pillars of the Darwin Plus program through a local leadership of habitat rehabilitation in the Sovereign Base Areas.
Water Readiness and Climate Quality
Management of runoff and the improvement of water quality are also being pursued. Reclaimed dunes collect stormwater, screen out pollutants, and prevent erosion—a natural response to sea level rise and more intense storms. These actions are aligned with Mediterranean climate adaptation policy and EU conservation law.
A Model for Sustainable Coastal Health
Dhekelia’s coastal renewal is significant far beyond its frontiers. By integrating voluntary action, scientific conservation, and official backing, it has emerged as a Mediterranean example of what land can achieve under military administration in terms of environmental restoration.
“This is environmental progress that works for everyone—nature, families, and future generations,” remarks a volunteer at a dune-planting session above newly fenced dunes.
Sources:
- Dhekelia Area Office Beach and Seabed Clean-Up ecomagazine.com+15oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu+15gov.uk+15
- Darwin Plus DPLUS141: Habitat Restoration for Cape Pyla/Dhekelia ecomagazine.com+9darwinplus.org.uk+9visitakrotiri.cy+9
- Habitat Restoration Projects in SBAs en.wikipedia.org+9birdlifecyprus.org+9uniset.ca+9
- Ministry of Defence Turtle Conservation in Cyprus visitakrotiri.cy+13gov.uk+13en.wikipedia.org+13
- SBAs Coastal Habitat Types & Mediterranean Programmes
