Environmental Baseline Assessment for UNFICYP

The overall objective of the Environmental Assessment Study (EAS) was to document the environmental conditions at eight (8) of UNFICYP’s Level II observation points (i.e., non-manned locations) and to identify significant factors that could potentially pose environmental threats to the users and/or the environment. The EAS considered the potential environmental threats, both for the case of decommissioning the facilities and the case of refurbishment and reuse, while the findings of the EAS were compared against the results of previous environmental baseline reports, to assess whether the environmental conditions of the sites improved, remained stable or deteriorated.

ALA carried out a review of the previous environmental baseline studies, execution of site visits and visual inspections of all studied facilities – including the completion of a predefined Environmental Hazard Risk Assessment Table, interviews with available personnel/officers regarding the past activities carried out onsite, identification of existing infrastructure, preparation of a register of potentially hazardous material and wastes, mapping of findings, identification of ongoing response actions and provision of recommendations, along with a relevant assessment and comparison of results with the previous environmental baseline studies. 

[Image Credits: Alexandra Novosseloff, UNFICYP]