Idyllic island finally to be rid of construction ruins

Tackling a decade-long situation on the idyllic island of Chrysi, opposite Ierapetra, Crete, the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency and the regional authority have a launched an initiative for the removal of all solid waste and construction remains strewn across the landscape. The two agencies signed a contract Thursday for the financing and implementation of the project.

Despite efforts three years ago, when 20 makeshift structures were torn down and removed from Chrysi, also known as Gaidouronisi, remnants of these structures, as well as other solid waste (wood, sheet metal, tires, umbrellas, generators and other refuse) remain scattered. 

Chrysi has been designated an archaeological site, a landscape of special natural beauty, a wildlife refuge and a reforested area, while, together with the neighboring rocky islet of Mikronisi, it has been are included...