Conference in Zacharo: Seeking a balance between development and environmental protection

The question of the balance between development and environmental protection in Sugarwho still has open sores from big fire of 2007which cost his life 63 people and made ashes over 400,000 acres of forest and cropsis placed on the table at 1st conference organized today and tomorrow by the municipality of Zacharos, in Lake Caiaphas.

The imprint of the fire remains strong in the area. As characteristically said Mayor Zacharos, Dr. Costas Alexandropoulosafter the fire the population of the municipality decreased by 41.9%, while in the martyr village of Makistos the population decreased by 70%.

After the fire, tools and means were sought for the sustainable development of the area, most of which did not materialize.

Howeverenvironmental protection and the framework for the sustainable development of the area were formulated in presidential decree of 2018, for the protection of the Gulf of Kyparissia. As the mayor Zacharos pointed out, the provisions of the decree include an area that reaches even 3 kilometers from the coastal front (below the national road and to the beaches of the municipality), within which no tourist facility can be made, can not to have any kind of investment.

In fact, according to Mr. Alexandropoulos, “there can be none tourist facility. Settlements, fields are protected, the protection zone starts through the municipality of Zacharos. Measures were decided before it was determined whether there were any species to be protected. Development could, at least, work through ecotourism. The maps and the technical report were not signed, they remain plans, in the file of the environmental study».

At the conferenceorganized jointly the municipality of Zacharosthe Administrative Court of First Instance of Pyrgos and the Association of Criminologistswith the participation of prominent judicial officials, lawyers and experts.

The main issue of the proposals and the concerns that are developed is finding the golden balance between the protection of the environment, which, as pointed out by the speakers, is now non-negotiable and the sustainable development of the region. Characteristic of the distortion that exists today, as has been said, is that even the habitat and thermal baths of Caiaphas remain “garbage dump”, since the reconstruction works have stopped in recent months.

The question was raised by the introductory position of o President of the Court of Appeals Elias Giarenis: «Is there a path to growth and sustainability? Is it possible to talk about sustainable development when at the same time we consume natural resources in an irreversible way?“, He said and added that”In many cases, strict, restrictive or misguided legislation, where it exists, is one side of the issue, on the other is business-friendly legislation. What we are looking for is a fair balance».

For her part, the lady Margarita Stenioti, Appellant and president of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors, pointed out that sustainable development calls for solidarity between the generations. «Once“, he said, “nature conservation was seen as an obstacle to development now, the pandemic proved otherwise. “Climate crisis and biodiversity loss are now the biggest challenges for peaceful societies.” said Mrs. Stenioti and continued: “What happens when biodiversity protection conflicts with the development and development of an area?” The Constitution contains the basic principle which is the principle of proportionality».

In the search for a fair balance, Mr. Mr. Panagiotis DaniasAppellate Administrative Court and President of the Association of Administrative Judges, noting
at the same time that sustainable development is characteristic of developed countries.

The issue of judicial protection of biodiversity was analyzed in detail by the Vice President of the Supreme Court, Mr. Miltiadis Chatzigeorgiou, through the existing legislation, while the areopagite, Mr. George Papageorgioudeveloped the issue of water protection through EU law, referring to specific decisions, such as the one on
diversion of Acheloos.

For his part, the president of the Association of Criminologists, a lawyer Giannis Glykasnoted that now “Dealing with the environment is a major issue, not unjustly so. Only when the consequences of the reckless exploitation of the environment threatened man did the need for protection become understood and the global ecological movement emerge. I’m not just the fires, the floods, the Eye. Prevention must work for the future. We have chosen to be here contributing to the debate that has opened up».

«We are discussing in an area less developed not only in relation to the country, but also in relation to the rest of the prefecture“, Said the ND MP, Mr. Nikolakopoulos, noting at the same time that Zacharo is an example of how excessive protection has condemned a place to less development, while adding that delays in the administration of justice are a deterrent to investment. The SYRIZA MP, Mr. Kalamatianos, noted that the protection of the place, which has a special beauty and economic development can be done synthetically, to advance the management plans, so that there is a result. Wealth can be generated, he said, noting that Caiaphas’ reconstruction project is in the air.

The head of the PASOK-KINAL Parliamentary Group, MP from Ilia, Michalis Katrinisnoted that growth can only be sustainable, however, in Zacharo
the gold combination has not been found. «Everything that happens must have the smallest possible environmental footprint. One needs a combination of environmental sensitivity that is one way,
but also development of the area, to take advantage of its comparative advantages. the region has potential, it can be a model of development, we are not honored by the situation in which it is».