Cyprus’s forest fire protection faces ongoing threats from chronic understaffing and lack of professional planning in education and administration, despite positive steps and significant equipment reinforcement, parliamentary committees confirmed.
The joint session of Parliamentary Committees for Internal Affairs, Agriculture and Environment held last Friday highlighted concerns about forest fire management and operational readiness of the Department of Forests following a fatal fire in mountainous Limassol that killed two people and caused extensive damage to property and ecosystems.
Parliamentary committees highlight persistent workforce problems
The Department of Forests Employees Union (PASYDY) thanked the committees for the opportunity to voice concerns from the “hot front line”.
Forest employees including forest guards, forest firefighters and machine operators fight fires daily with professionalism and self-sacrifice, often away from public attention, the union stated.
However, they condemned blanket derogatory criticism of staff, saying such criticism comes “from safety” and fails to consider actual working conditions and problems.
Forestry college closure creates professional skills shortage
Central to the union’s interventions was chronic understaffing of forest services. Whilst progress has been made in hiring hourly personnel such as forest firefighters and fire guards, staffing with permanent forest employees, foresters and forest technicians continues declining.
Statistical data shows the staffing decline: 2011: 293 forest employees, 2016: 284, 2021: 270, 2025: 265 with 83 vacant positions.
This weakening burdens existing staff working exhausting hours on duties extending beyond forest firefighting to entire forest management. The closure of the Forestry College a decade ago without creating a university forestry programme led to a shortage of new trained professionals, described as “scandalous”.
The college is expected to resume operations from September 2025 with 20 students initially. However, the union emphasises this is a temporary solution and reiterates the need to create a relevant undergraduate programme at TEPAK, as decided by Parliament in 2003.
More than 90 vacant positions exist for forest employees following the college closure, with numbers expected to increase and possibly exceed 120 vacant positions in coming years.
Agriculture ministry reports record 1,008 staff members in 2025
The Agriculture Ministry has approved exempting forest employee recruitment from general government examinations to address staffing problems.
From 1 January 2026, special written examinations will be conducted by a Department of Forests advisory committee, applying selection criteria under public service evaluation laws. This change affects both Forest Officer and Forest Conservator positions.
The Agriculture Ministry presented extensive plans for infrastructure and equipment reinforcement. In 2025, the department employs 1,008 staff, the largest number in its history. It recruited 108 new forest firefighters, fire guards and special vehicle operators.
The fleet was reinforced with 25 new firefighting vehicles, with 17 more expected by 2026. In 2025, Cyprus has 14 aerial firefighting aircraft, the most the Republic of Cyprus has ever possessed.
Procedures have begun for acquiring owned firefighting aircraft through financial leasing, whilst significant steps have been taken in prevention through new legislation and actions.
Special reference was made to the comprehensive rural fire protection management study. The Department of Forests Employees Union shares the need for reorganisation but expresses strong concern about implementation without consultation and without securing necessary infrastructure and personnel.
The union emphasises any change must be gradual and coordinated, warning against undermining forest protection for rural areas. Clear separation of responsibilities is needed, focusing on prevention rather than just suppression.