Tripoli post: Shahat Declaration for Sustainable Development

[tolibya]

Seif Al-Islam Al-Qathafi (fourth from left) is briefed about the huge ecoporject in Shahat (Syrene) that is aimed for sustainable development in eastern Libya.(AP photo)

CYRENE, At a huge gathering of international and local dignitaries, Saif Al-Islam Al-Qathafi unveiled an ambitious plan Monday to protect ancient ruins, conserve Libya's pristine Mediterranean coastline and draw ecotourists to this dear part of the country.
The plan took a form of document named "Shahat (Syrene) Declaration of Sustainable Development" that included fourteen principles to help implement this development and can be applied to other regions in Libya .
The main objective of this project is to make 5,500 square kilometres of northeastern Libya, known as the Green Mountain or Al-Jabal Al-Akhather about 1,200 km east of Tripoli, an environmentally sustainable region, creating a national park and ecotourism opportunities while excavating and protecting the nearby ancient temples and Mediterranean coast.

Saif Al-Islam announced the project at a ceremony inside a 2,200-year-old Greek gymnasium in the ruins of the ancient city of Cyrene , among the largely untouched and unvisited antiquity sites that Libya hopes will become a destination for tourists from all over the world.

The massive ecological and cultural project is estimated at a cost of $3billion.

The initiative is projected at luring well-heeled eco-tourists and along the north-eastern unspoilt coastline between Benghazi and Tobruk, creating jobs for more than 70,000 young Libyans in the process.

"Our intention is to build a complete and sustainable social, cultural, economic and environmental system in which the needs of the present allow for the needs of future generations," Saif said.
Libya 's ancient Greek city of Cyrene , dating back to 631 BC, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Green Mountain is a virtually unspoiled region of fertile land, gorges and Greek ruins that rival those in Greece and Turkey .
"Its time now to join developed countries and make a statement that we are also concerned about the environment and culture," Saif told reporters.

"This treasure is not just for Libyans but for all mankind," he said.
Such a major undertaking needs "foreign assistance and help," said Seif Al-Islam, who heads the Al-Qathafi Foundation for Development.
The Libyan government has founded the Green Mountain Conservation and Development Authority, including engineers, archaeologists and experts on the environment and sustainable development, to steer the massive project and secure the necessary foreign investment.

The vision for this rare region of Libya includes eco-tourism, conservation of animals and plant life, clean industries and renewable energy.

“Our intention is to build a complete and sustainable social, cultural, economic and environmental system in which the needs of the present allow for the needs of future generations," said Seif.
The firm of renowned British architect Norman Foster, whose global projects include Beijing Airport , the Millau Viaduct in France , and the restoration of the Reichstag in Berlin are developing the regional plan.

“This is one of the most beautiful and little known landscapes on Earth," Foster said in a statement, calling it a unique challenge "to establish a sustainable blueprint for future development" in the Green Mountain region.

Spencer de Grey, head of design at the British architectural firm, said it was too early to define a time frame or cost-structure.
Only about 10 percent of Libya 's ancient treasures can be seen today, as most of its cultural wealth still needs to be dug up.
"We have promises and I hope a commitment from the European Union to help us with our project to restore and rebuild the ancient cities in Libya ," Seif said.

While guests were given a detailed brief on the ambitious project, Joseph Stanislaw, an energy adviser, said the project is unique "because of the scale, size and holistic approach.
“The preservation of the beauty here is the way to develop industries and create a vibrant local economy and maintain the culture of the region.”

The cost of a project of this scale will be "billions and billions of dollars," added the president of The JA Stanislaw Group. No official cost estimate was announced. He said that financing would be split between foreign investors, the Libyan government and foundations.
Peter Bunyard, a founding editor of the Ecologist magazine, said: "It's obviously going to be a very expensive investment."