Alex Taylor

Alex Taylor

Selfie Posing Fall 2018

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Kalkınma Ajanslarının İklim Değişikliği Algısı: Ankara Kalkınma Ajansı Örneği

Ankara Kalkınma Ajansının İklim Değişikliği Algısı ve İklim Değişikliğinin Etkilerine Karşı Hazırladığı Projelerin Coğrafi Açıdan Değerlendirilmesi

Son yıllarda Türkiye’de hazırlanan kalkınma planlarında ve projelerinde coğrafi ve ekolojik bakış açısından ziyade ekonomik bakış açısı öne çıkmaktadır. Ekonomik çıkarlar göz önünde bulundurularak yapılan bu planlamalar kısa vadede etkili olmakla birlikte uzun vadede zarar etmektedirler. Ekolojik olmamaları dolayısıyla meydana getirdikleri bu zararlar hem ülke ekonomisine zarar vermekte hem de doğal çevreyi tahrip etmektedir. Doğal çevre tahribatıyla birlikte gelen doğal kaynakların hatalı kullanımı da bu zararın boyutlarını artırmaktadır. Bu zararlardan korunmak ve daha işlevsel planlar/projeler üretmek için akademik açıdan başarılı ve alanında uzman kişilere danışılarak bu planların yapılması daha yerinde bir karar olacaktır. Coğrafya Bilimi bu ihtiyacı karşılama konusunda etkili bir yere sahiptir. Coğrafyacılar eğitimleri boyunca gördükleri klimatoloji, jeomorfoloji, ekoloji gibi fiziki derslerin yanı sıra ekonomi, siyaset, bölge planlama dersleri sayesinde plan ve proje hazırlama konusunda yetkin bir kitleyi oluşturmaktadır. Bu altyapıya sahip bilim adamlarının oluşturacakları projeler hem ekolojik hem de ekonomik bir özellik göstererek bölge planlama işinde etkili sonuçlar ortaya koyacaktır.

Yazının tamamına ulaşmak için Academia profilimi "buraya" tıklayarak ziyaret edebilirsiniz.

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From in-cyprus

Cabinet commissions study on Cyprus-Greece ferry link

November 1, 2018 at 4:49pm

Edited by Bouli Hadjioannou

The deputy ministry of shipping will carry out a study on a ferry link between Cyprus and Greece, deputy shipping minister Natasa Pilides said on Thursday.

She told reporters that the deputy ministry had suggested such a study be carried out and that cabinet had given its approval.

There have long been calls for the restoration of a ferry link between the two countries that ceased 18 years ago.

Previous efforts have stumbled on the problem of money, with feasibility studies indicating that such a link would not be financially viable.

But there have been renewed calls on the government to seek to find a solution, most recently by Disy, while an online petition to both the Cyprus and Greek governments has collected thousands of signatures.

Speaking to journalists after the decision of the Council of Ministers, Pilides said that a Cyprus-Greece ferry link would help to further boost tourism and facilitate members of the public who are afraid of flying.

“A study will be carried out with the aim of determining the financial shortfall such a ferry link would create. This would then be re-examined by cabinet so that an official request for financing can be made to the European Commission,” she said.

The procedure is likely to be lengthy as the issue had to be examined by the European Commission, she added.

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From in-cyprus

Parliament moving to approve private shooting ranges

November 1, 2018 at 4:28pm

Edited by Stelios Marathovouniotis

A bill that will pave the way for the operation of private shooting ranges is in the works, Phileleftheros reported.

The bill is nearing completion and will be sent to cabinet for approval and then to Parliament.

It provides regulations for 11 types of shooting ranges, both closed and open-air for many kinds of guns such as automatic rifles and air guns. It also provides for ranges for archery.

Ranges will be only accessible to registered members as well as members of the Police, the National Guard and the Wildlife Service who will use their service weapons after receiving approval from their respective service. Special provisions will also be made for army reservists.

Visitors who come to Cyprus with their weapons will have to hand them over to the keeper of the shooting range until they leave the Republic.

The bill provides that to become a shooting ranger owner, among others, the applicant should have a clean criminal record.

According to Phileleftheros, the bill is long-awaited by foreign investors and shooting federations abroad because weather conditions in Cyprus allow for yearlong shooting training and international competitions.

Germany, Austria, Russia and Finland are some of the countries that are monitoring progress of the bill, as they are interested in investing and have a significant number of shooters in their countries.

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in-cyprus 1 November 2018

Game Service nets €750,000 in fines under new law

Edited by Bouli Hadjioannou

The Game Service has imposed fines exceeding €750,000 since July 2017 when the new hunting law came into force,

In an announcement in view of the start of the new hunting season on Sunday, the Game Service said that 60% of the fines had been paid within the specified time frame, 15% were still pending while 25% had not been paid and have gone or will go to court.

Of those cases that have been heard, the courts have imposed penalties equal to or higher than the out of court fine, it added.

Under the new law, offences such as hunting without a permit and hunting in a no-hunting area are punished with fines starting from €2,000. Poaching at night is punished with a fine of €25,000.

The Game Service has called on all hunters to adhere to the written and unwritten rules of hunting and to be considerate of other hunters  and private property.

It added that the population of hares and partridges was slightly better than last year. One deterrent to further a improvement was the increase in the fox population, the Game Service said.

It also urged hunters not to move around in large numbers and with a large number of hunting dogs so as to give game a fair chance to get away and not to tolerate poaching at night or hunting in no-hunting areas.

Hunting is permitted every Sunday and Wednesday from November 4  to December 30 — a total of 17 hunting outings.

Hunters must always carry their hunting and gun licence and a permit to use hunting dogs. Hunting licences can be renewed online on JCCsmart or at the banks.

The hunting quota is one hare, four partridges and one francolin. The lighting of fires in non-designated areas is prohibited.

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AGRICULTURE MINISTER - AKAMAS NATIONAL PARK TO BE READY IN 2022

From in-cyprus 1 November 2018 - Edited by Bouli Hadjioannou

AGRICULTURE MINISTER - AKAMAS NATIONAL PARK TO BE READY IN 2022

Cabinet on Thursday approved the objectives and basic provisions of the Akamas National Park which Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis said will be ready at the end of 2022.

Speaking to reporters, Kadis said the plan was developed by a group of consultants, including academic and foreign experts, and adapted following consultations with local communities and environmentalists.

Kadis said the plan has three main pillars:

• Conserving the biodiversity and preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the park
• Creating the conditions for the sustainable development of the wider region and of the local communities through the operation of the park
• Improving visitors’ experience. The aim is for visitors to have a pleasant and safe experience, he said.

National and EU funds will be used to finance actions to conserve the biodiversity of the Akamas, Kadis added.

There will be eight entrances to the park, with the fee due to be set in the near future. Some categories of visitors will be exempted while the money raised from the entrance fee will be go to managing the park and actions to benefit local communities.

There will be an 85 km road network which the minister said will be repaired or built based on environmentally friendly techniques and after studies.

There will also be 14 visitor centres with facilities that will include parking and rest areas.

A consultative committee will help manage the park. “There is a timeframe which begins today and will be completed at the end of 2022 when we will deliver a modern and functional park,” he said.

Provision has been made for the funds needed in the ministry’s budget and the park’s plan will be finalized and approved by cabinet together with the local plan for the region which is underway to ensure the two are in harmony, he concluded.

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HOW MUCH WILL HEATING OIL COST THIS WINTER?

From in-cyprus 1 November 2018

Heating oil is more expensive now compared to January 2018 prices, the Cyprus Consumer Association found.

Specifically, consumers will pay a total of €153 more to fill a tank 1000 litres today, compared to January 2018. The average price in January 2018 was €0.825 cents and on October 31, 2018 it was €0.978 cents.The Cyprus Consumer Association also said that:

• From October 2018 to March 2019, which is the period with the most heating oil consumption, consumers will pay a total of €7,685,678 more if prices remain at current levels.
• The total amount of oil purchased from the Turkish-occupied north for the period January – September 2018 is calculated at 11,722,874 litres for 95 gasoline and for diesel at 12,022,567 litres.
• Fuel station owners for the same period are estimated to have lost revenue of €1,310,399.
• The State is estimated to have lost revenue (taxes and VAT) of €17,444,499.

Link to table https://in-cyprus.com/news/local/how-much-will-heating-oil-cost-this-winter/

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DOCTORS AT PAPHOS A&E ON DAILY WORK STOPPAGES OVER UNDERSTAFFING

Cyprus Mail - article by Evie Andreou 31 October 2018

Doctors of the Paphos hospital’s accident and emergency department announced that from Thursday they would go on two-hour work stoppages every day to protest over understaffing.

The doctors announced that the work stoppages will be between 12.30pm and 2.30pm on weekdays and between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on weekends.

At the moment, there are 10 doctors at the A&E department, reports said, while the minimum number of physicians required to meet needs and ensure patient safety is 13.

Doctors told state broadcaster CyBC, that some of their colleagues are on prolonged sick leave but have not been replaced. They also said that they are forced to work for long periods of time without breaks and are not being paid for overtime.

They said the health ministry failed to respond to their repeated letters in which they refer the problems the department faces, including issues concerning equipment.

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CHEESEMAKERS FEAR BREXIT COULD HIT BOOMING HALLOUMI EXPORTS

Cyprus Mail - article by CNA News Service 1 November 2018

Exports of halloumi soared to 28,000 tonnes last year, but cheesemakers fear trade could slow down after Brexit and have called for government measures.

Halloumi’s growing popularity abroad is largely attributed to the increasing awareness of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. A hot summer across Europe also boosted sales as halloumi is a very popular barbecue item.

In the past five years, halloumi exports have increased by 20 per cent, a trade worth €13m in January alone, and making the cheese among the top three most important exports.

“Our exports have increased a lot. The last four years, there has been an increase to the tune of 4,000 tonnes per year,” head of the cheesemakers’ association, Giorgos Petrou, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

The product is exported mainly to European countries such as the UK, Sweden, Germany and Austria but also to Australia.

“Halloumi has been recorded as a key ingredient in global consumer preferences and nutritional habits because of its origin as a key element of the Mediterranean diet, which has been a trend in recent years,” said managing director of Charalambides-Christis dairies, Marios Constantinou.

This upward trend, however, may be slowed down by Brexit, as the imposition of duties could mean rising prices, thus losing its competitiveness in the British market that absorbs a large chunk of overall exports.

For Cypriot cheesemakers, the worst-case scenario is for the UK to be considered as a third country.

“Based on official export figures for 2017, 44 per cent of halloumi was exported to the UK where the unstable socio-economic environment due to Brexit may affect the trade relationship in the future,” Constantinou said. He added that cheesemakers are already working on positive scenarios to defend their interests.

He also expressed concern that if duties were imposed, they would automatically be added to the price of the product.

“We hope that the state will try to find a formula so that there will be a separate agreement for the case of Cyprus. Over the years, the UK and Cyprus have had very good relations, due to the Commonwealth,” he said.

According to Petrou, if halloumi exports are hit by duties, this would allow other countries which produce what he described as imitation halloumi to enter the British market at much lower prices.

Already, he said, countries such as Hungary or Bulgaria are producing similar cheeses which they call ‘grilled cheese type’ at lower prices because they have cheaper raw materials.

Cheesemakers said that expensive raw materials are another problem that needs an answer as fresh milk prices in Cyprus are almost double those in the rest of the EU. The price of milk is probably the biggest challenge for cheesemakers, he said, and severely impacts competitiveness.

The registration of halloumi as a protected designation of origin (PDO), which has been pending before the European Commission since 2014, would give a further boost to exports, cheesemakers said. The government, however, would still need to make arrangements in terms of the UK, they said, as the PDO recognition concerns member-states of the EU only.

A source within the agriculture ministry told the CNA that the consequences of a Brexit deal with the EU or failure to reach one are still unknown.

The ministry is monitoring consultations concerning the Brexit deal and records possible consequences. Cyprus will have to adopt any agreement achieved between the EU and the UK. Any special agreement between Cyprus and the UK post Brexit will have to be approved by the EU.

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PAPHOS PROMOTING 'SMART CITY' PACKAGE

Cyprus Mail - article by Bejay Browne 31 October 2018

French ambassador Rene Troccaz (left) with Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos on Wednesday

The French ambassador to Cyprus met with the mayor of Paphos on Wednesday and discussed the town’s efforts to transform itself into a ‘smart’ city.

The ambassador, Rene Troccaz, met with Phedonas Phedonos at Paphos town hall.

“This is the second time they have met each other and the ambassador was particularly interested in our efforts to establish Paphos as smart city,” a municipality spokesman told the Cyprus Mail.

The ‘smart’ city package covers advanced digital services such as the creation of a digital platform, applications to support visitors and visibility of culture, tourism and entrepreneurship, the development of e-government applications and the supply and installation of Wi-Fi hotspots and touch screens, he said.

Troccaz asked Phedonos for details about the municipality’s plans in this field and other issues concerning the further development of relations was discussed .

The ambassador was informed that two Paphos projects were given the green light last year which officials welcomed as a move towards establishing Paphos as a smart city.

They were submitted under the INTERREG V-A Cross-Border Cooperation Programme: Greece-Cyprus 2014-2020.

The first project sees the town in the role of lead partner, with the co-operation of twinned municipalities of Chania and Lesbos. The co-financing programme provides for city-based applications and infrastructures.

“The study for this is already underway and it includes a business plan for the smart city actions, a strategic plan including: city marketing, city branding and others,” the spokesman said.

He noted that the ‘kick- off’ meeting for the second project, ‘ECORouTS’, will take place next month.

“We were informed today (Wednesday) that the meeting will take place in Heraklion on November 12, and the project will get underway soon after.”

ECOURouTs aims to reduce carbon emissions from urban transport and the municipality of Paphos will supply at least one electric bus for passengers, the installation of a charging station, development of a telematics system and green path development, he said.

For this project, Paphos is a partner (not a lead partner) and the municipalities of Heraklion, Chania and Aradippou are also involved.

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