Client: Ministry of Interior – Town Planning and Housing Department
The aim of the project was to assess the significant environmental effects that are likely to result from the implementation of the New Development Plan for Nicosia City and Suburbs and to propose appropriate mitigation measures.
Nicosia, as a major administrative and investment centre in Cyprus, concentrates large scale developments, service infrastructures, cultural, educational and health services. The New Development Plan for Nicosia aimed to further promote development in an economically and environmentally sustainable way in order to cover the population needs for housing, employment and other support services. The main areas of development were: residential development, commercial development, offices and companies, manufacturing and industrial development, traffic policy, tourism and other special categories.
The tasks that were successfully completed and the services that were provided by I.A.CO in the frame of the Strategic Environmental Assessment were:
- Analysis and description of the context and objectives of the Plan, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope
- Detailed description of the Plan with a focus on those aspects that have a potential environmental impact
- Developing and refining alternatives, assessing effects and assist in the refinement of the plan and in the selection of the ones to be further analysed
- Analysis and presentation of the current situation in the relevant environmental fields, as well as of the trends and expected developments
- Detailed assessment and evaluation of the significant environmental impacts of the Plan, also taking into account cumulative impacts
- Identification and proposal of appropriate mitigation in order to be incorporated into the plan-making process
- Formulation of appropriate Monitoring Programme for the impacts and the effectiveness of measures
- Consultation and Public Participation Campaign with the public and relevant stakeholders
- Presentations of the Environmental Report to the public and to the Environmental Authority
