However, desalination plants have their downsides: they are very expensive to build, require much energy to run and have the potential to harm sea life when the desalination plants take in water from the ocean. Sometimes adapting to the environment means weighing the pros and cons of different strategies.
Cyprus’s dry environment, as well as our changing global climate, can also impact Cyprus’s air quality. For example, the hot winds of spring and summer, exacerbated (worsened) by global warming, can bring dust storms whipping across the Mediterranean from the Sahara Desert in northern Africa, thereby impacting air quality and sometimes keeping children inside during recess. Can you imagine not being able to play outside because of a dust storm? To adapt, Cypriots have developed air quality monitoring systems so they can notify the public if conditions become so poor that it’s best to stay inside.
Dry conditions can also put Cyprus at risk for wildfires, including several since my arrival in September. To adapt and respond quickly to such threats, Cypriots have built fire stations across the countryside, especially in the foothills and the mountains, where fires can spread fastest up steep slopes. Forestry officials also come to schools, as they did this week, to help educate students about taking care of Cyprus’s environment and helping prevent forest fires. So you see, education is an important tool for helping future generations of Cypriots adapt to and take care of their environment.
Fortunately, the very sunshine that contributes to some of Cyprus’s greatest challenges also makes Cyprus an ideal place for producing solar power. In fact, it’s one of the world’s leading producers!
