Challenges and opportunities facing wildlife conservation and cultural sustainability in the Paphos Forest, Cyprus: Historical overview and contemporary perspective

Abstract

In light of the increasing loss of species diversity and human cultural diversity and the pressure topdown nature conservation has often placed on local cultures around the world, understanding the linkages between conservation and cultural sustainability and finding ways to address them in an integrated way have become critically important. The potential for linking conservation and cultural sustainability is examined through the case of the Paphos Forest in Cyprus. In the Paphos Forest, the Cyprus mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion), an endangered subspecies of wild sheep, faces an uncertain future, while small village communities are experiencing decline and are struggling to sustain their way of life. This paper describes the historical context that has guided conservation policy in Cyprus and presents the findings of a preliminary qualitative inquiry conducted in the summer of 2000 in four village communities in the Paphos Forest. The inquiry revealed that local people are greatly concerned about the future of their villages and find intolerable the agricultural damages caused by mouflon, which place an additional strain on local agriculture. Despite these problems, there is potential for linking conservation with efforts to enhance the viability of the village communities. Local people value the forest and generally support the conservation of the Cyprus mouflon, which is considered an element of the local culture. Furthermore, people would welcome opportunities to participate in conservation programs, with the hope that this would benefit both mouflon and their communities.