In the Troodos mountains in Cyprus, agriculture is often made possible by the presence of terraces. Yet, their condition is deteriorating due to land abandonment and the rise of temperatures in the region. Mountain communities have been empowered and involved in an initiative to restore the dry-stone terraces of the Ophiolite Complex of Troodos.
As part of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 RE-CARE project (2013-2018), mountain communities of Polystypos, Alona and Platanistasa were engaged in the restoration of these dry-stone terraces. The project has opted for mixed governance and citizen participation to define and implement a restoration strategy. In total, 160 people were involved in the reflection and decision-making process.
Through mixed workshops and restoration activities, the RE-CARE project has made possible to empower mountain people, contributing to the capacity-building and technical training of communities with the support of the outside world. Such a governance model encouraged the involvement of communities in a territorial problem with environmental, social, and economic repercussions.
Find out in our good practice how the initiative was set up.
1 June 2021
