The past, present and future of nature conservation in Crete and Cyprus: So close and yet so far

We developed a framework to compare the similarities and differences in nature conservation between two highly biodiverse Mediterranean islands; Cyprus and Crete. We relied on a) literature review for the factors which have shaped the state of conservation affairs on the islands (e.g. institutional context) and b) the use of indicators to capture conservation effort (e.g. protected areas extent) as well as the main pressures on the islands (e.g. climate change). Entry to the European Union has improved environmental policy and legislation with both islands involved in several conservation projects. In Cyprus, an overall favorable habitat conservation status is reported compared to Crete and the role of formal education in environmental protection and awareness is more significant. Among the threats examined, fire seems to be important and projected to increase under climate change in both islands. Crete has a larger number of grazing animals but the available areas for stock raising are five times higher than those in Cyprus. Tourism is more intense in Crete but land development is more acute in Cyprus. Climate change is expected to be more severe for Cyprus. Despite the islands' biotic and landscape affinities and the common threats they face, what seems to be making a difference in nature conservation is a) governance structure, b) the way/extent that these threats are manifested c) adaptive capacity to future threats, in particular climate change. Cyprus seems to be facing more intense threats but is also placed better in terms of institutional context to deal with these threats.