National Context
The U.BI.TEACH Cyprus observatory entry focuses on the Republic of Cyprus-controlled part of Greater Nicosia, especially the urban areas connected by the Pedieos River corridor, Athalassa National Forest Park and public green spaces. It distinguishes existing sites from monitoring methods and projects proposed in the case study.
The concept is based on understanding urban biodiversity not as a collection of isolated parks, but as a connected green and blue urban network. This approach is particularly relevant to Nicosia, where the Pedieos River crosses the urban fabric and connects areas of Nicosia, Strovolos and Lakatamia, while Athalassa National Forest Park forms a major peri-urban natural area on the south-eastern side of the capital.
Nicosia already has an important basis for such an approach. Within the EU-funded Connecting Nature project, the Nicosia Development Agency proposed the creation of an urban network of open and green spaces connected through an integrated pedestrian and cycling network, using Athalassa National Forest Park and existing Nature-Based Solutions as a core. The initiative identified two important challenges for Nicosia: the city’s strong dependence on private cars and the insufficient availability of environmentally rich public space close to the urban core.
The proposed U.BI.TEACH Observatory would build upon this existing direction and add a stronger biodiversity monitoring and knowledge dimension, linking:
Urban and peri-urban ecosystems → biodiversity data → spatial monitoring → citizen participation → evidence-based urban planning.
The main ecological backbone of the Observatory would include:
- Pedieos River and Linear Park;
- Athalassa National Forest Park;
- National Forest Park of the Pedagogical Academy;
- major municipal parks such as Acropolis Park;
- smaller neighbourhood parks and green spaces;
- emerging urban greening projects;
- pedestrian and cycling corridors with potential ecological connectivity functions.
The Municipality of Nicosia identifies the Pedieos River and Athalassa Park as the most important green lungs of the capital’s urban complex, reinforcing the value of using them as the principal components of the Observatory framework.
The national context is informed by the Observatory framework, which places its work within the framework of the Cyprus Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, approved by the Council of Ministers on 3 June 2020.
The national strategy adopts a holistic approach to nature protection and aims to halt biodiversity loss and maintain and protect Cyprus ecosystems in good condition. It was developed in relation to both the Convention on Biological Diversity and the European Union Biodiversity Strategy and is intended to operate in synergy with Cyprus’ climate adaptation and energy and climate policies.
For the Nicosia Observatory, this creates an important connection between:
- biodiversity conservation;
- urban and spatial planning;
- climate adaptation;
- restoration of ecosystems;
- Nature-Based Solutions;
- environmental education;
- public participation.
The proposed Observatory conceptualises Greater Nicosia as a network composed of blue infrastructure, major green cores and smaller urban green nodes.
Blue infrastructure – Pedieos River
The Pedieos River is the principal blue-green corridor crossing the urban area.
The existing pedestrian and cycling route follows the river through Nicosia and continues into Strovolos and Lakatamia. The original development was explicitly designed as a low-impact intervention combining public use with protection of the river’s natural environment.
Within Strovolos, the municipal section includes approximately four kilometres of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and was completed in 2002. The municipality reports approximately 14,000 trees and shrubs along this section, together with supporting infrastructure.
Earlier work under the Connecting Nature project described the wider Pedieos Linear Park as approximately 14 km long, crossing Lakatamia, Strovolos and Nicosia.
The river therefore provides a logical structure around which ecological connectivity, vegetation, habitat quality, climate regulation and public interaction with nature can be monitored.
Athalassa National Forest Park should form the principal large green core of the Observatory.
The Department of Forests records Athalassa as a National Forest Park of approximately 840.2 hectares, situated south of Nicosia and surrounded by the urban areas of Aglantzia, Strovolos and Latsia. Its functions include recreation, environmental education and the provision of a major green space for the capital.
The park already contains infrastructure particularly relevant to an Urban Biodiversity Observatory:
- Environmental Information and Education Centre;
- bird observation point at Athalassa Dam;
- botanical garden;
- walking and cycling routes;
- recreational areas;
- environmental education facilities.
The Athalassa Botanical Garden provides an additional scientific and educational resource. The Department of Forests reports a first sector containing species of trees and shrubs and a second sector focused primarily on Cyprus native flora.
This makes Athalassa particularly suitable as a reference monitoring site, against which smaller and more urbanised green spaces could be compared.
Secondary green nodes
The Observatory should also include a network of smaller green areas functioning as ecological stepping stones.
Potential monitoring nodes include:
- National Forest Park of the Pedagogical Academy;
- Acropolis Park;
- Nicosia Municipal Park;
- Ayios Dimitrios Park;
- neighbourhood parks;
- existing and future green spaces associated with pedestrian and cycling routes;
- new urban greening projects.
The National Forest Park of the Pedagogical Academy covers approximately 45 hectares and is situated close to the urban centre, within the wider Aglantzia–Nicosia area.
The Municipality of Nicosia also maintains a network of municipal parks across the city, while Strovolos lists the Pedieos Linear Park, Acropolis Park and several neighbourhood parks as part of its public green infrastructure.
Project U.BI.TEACH – URBAN BIODIVERSITY TEACHING AND LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR (2023-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000154248 )
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit here.
Privacy Policy
By understanding that the use of your data requires your confidence, we follow the current regulations and the appropriate procedures in the treatment and data protection. Find more here.
