[box_dark]The first ever eco-army camp in Cyprus[/box_dark]
The World Environment Day 2012 was a special day as the Defense Minister of Cyprus declared that Cyprus was now a base to the foremost European eco-army camp. The army camp of Delikipos located near Larnaca is the first of its kind to adopt the EMAS or ‘European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme’ of EU commission and the main motive behind setting up of this camp is to generate awareness regarding the conservation of the environment within the military. These environmental friendly army camps have gained a lot of appreciation on a global level and so has Cyprus.
[box_dark]Environment friendly army camps[/box_dark]
The newsletter, ‘Europe Diplomacy & Defense’ praised Cyprus for taking the initiative and setting up an eco friendly army camp. Most of the MoD or Ministry of Defense in the entire Europe has shown very little concern when it comes to environmental issues and in such conditions Cyprus has stood apart with the eco friendly camps. The military camps set up by Cyprus are valid proof of the fact that defense and military operations and environment conservation activities can go hand in hand. Even with intellectual utilization of natural resources a powerful defense camp can be established.
Eftychia loannau who happens to be the civil engineer and the environmentalist in Cyprus Defense ministry said that the ministry of defense of Cypriot has decided to enforce EMAS on pilot grounds in the eco friendly military camp set up in Delikipos. In the year 2011 the scheme was implemented and by the year 2012 it received the required certification from the EU inspectors. This camp has been set up for accomplishing a lot of important objectives and one of them is to establish authorized lines of answerability for environmental effects.
This particular military camp got adequate funding to install low energy light equipment, double glazing, and carries out the insulation procedure of the walls and also to improve its energy efficiency. This eco friendly military camp is capable of making its own power with the help of photovoltaic panels installed and because of this around 30 per cent of the total power can be produced using the solar power resources. The ministry has left no stone unturned to make this camp totally environmental friendly and it has planted no less than six hundred trees in the neighboring areas of the military camp.
The planting of these trees will help in reducing the CO2 emissions which in turn will be quite helpful to the environment. The world today is facing serious environmental problems and initiatives like this work as a ray of hope and that is why this camp is getting all the appreciation. Eftychia loannau also stated that the ministry of defense has also taken steps to implement a water direction policy in the camp which has ensued in recycling of water utilized in the process of showers plus laundry for flushing the toilets.
The personnel at the military camp have also adopted recycling of glass, plastic as well as paper and also of cooking oil, used tires, motor oil and waste from electronic equipment. The main objective now is to expand this EMAS plan and to establish more such environmental friendly military camps. The camp commander at the camp in Delikipos is quite elated with all the proceedings that help in saving a lot of natural energy resources and also help in recycling the waste materials. This eco friendly military camp in Cyprus is really a great step in the process to save the environment and it has definite scope.
