Waterbirds in Cyprus 2007/2008 is both a landmark report on which future studies can build as well as a testament to what can be accomplished when the two sides work together to tackle a common problem.

Ecologically speaking, Cyprus is a series of interconnected systems where environmental issues can only be properly addressed on an island-wide basis. This is especially true in the case of public health hazards such as those posed by air and water pollution and airborne viruses. The avian influenza epidemics of 2006 provided the impetus for cooperation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the H5N1 virus which was contagious to human beings. Cyprus is located on an important migratory flyway and hosts millions of migrating birds each winter—all of them are potential vectors of disease.

To assist Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in combating the avian influenza threat then, USAID, through the Action for Cooperation and Trust (ACT) program, supported efforts that resulted in a cooperative island-wide waterbird monitoring program. This in turn resulted in the first systematic counts of waterbirds on the island and has improved the two sides’ ability to managing shared resources cooperatively. Waterbirds in Cyprus 2007/2008 is both a landmark report on which future studies can build as well as a testament to what can be accomplished when the two sides work together to tackle a common problem.

With funding from ACT, Waterbirds in Cyprus 2007/2008 was published by the Unit of Environmental Studies at the Cyprus Center of European and International Affairs in cooperation with the Turkish-Cypriot Biologists Association and the Cyprus Game Fund. It was written by Iris Charalambidou, Salih Gucel, Nicolaos Kassinis, Niyazi Turkseven, Wayne Fuller, Asuman Kuyucu, and Huseyin Yorganci.