Cyclades islands among Europe’s most endangered sites
Three Cyclades islands – Sifnos, Serifos, and Folegandros – have been named among Europe’s seven most endangered heritage sites for 2024, as announced this week. The Seven Most Endangered Program, a joint effort by heritage group Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank Institute since 2013, aims to safeguard threatened European heritage, be it from demolition, neglect, over-exploitation, or conflict.
“The Cyclades, renowned for their unique charm and rich culture, find themselves grappling with a myriad of challenges posed by the surge in tourism development and rampant construction. Despite driving economic growth, this brings along a host of environmental, cultural, and social issues, including the degradation of natural resources, damage to cultural and natural heritage, water scarcity, waste management problems, and socio-economic disparities,” a statement said.
“The islands are at risk of losing their exceptional and authentic character as increasing tourist-oriented construction threatens to overshadow their inherent allure,” it added.
‘The islands are at risk of losing their exceptional and authentic character as increasing tourist-oriented construction threatens to overshadow their inherent allure’
The nomination of these three islands to the program was submitted by Greek NGO Elliniki Etairia – Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, with support from the mayors of the respective islands.
The nominator advocates for strategic policy-based measures to tackle the pressing issues in the Cyclades, proposing a comprehensive approach to preserve the islands’ integrity. Immediate priorities include establishing a special spatial plan for tourism to regulate and manage activities, along with implementing a binding regional spatial plan for the South Aegean. The proposal also stresses the necessity of local urban plans to delineate landscape enhancement zones, fostering collaboration between the Tourism Ministry and the Environment Ministry for policy alignment, and creating specific institutional regulations to integrate carrying capacity into spatial planning.
In addition to the Greek islands, the other endangered sites listed for 2024 include: Working-class Housing in Roubaix-Tourcoing, France; the Church of San Pietro in Gessate and the Synagogue of Siena, Italy; Home of Yugoslav People’s Army in Šabac, Serbia; the Church of St Georgios and the Iron Gate of Antioch in Turkey.
In 2021, five islands in the southern Aegean – Amorgos, Kimolos, Kythira, Sikinos, and Tinos – were included in the program.
