Over 800 illegal dumps and waste piles were identified in Cyprus municipalities between April and July 2024 with the pilot application of the DumpMapper service. The service used satellite images and artificial intelligence techniques.
In an announcement by the PERIOPSIS company, which is a spin-off of the CYENS center of excellence, it is stated that the aim of the pilot application was to address the growing problem of illegal waste, which is a perennial problem for almost all municipalities in Cyprus. For this purpose, the company made the DumpMapper service available to the competent services of the Municipalities of Nicosia, Larnaca, Lakatamia, Paphos, Ypsonas and Livadia, in order to locate and monitor new dumping points within their administrative boundaries. The service also provided an online platform, which allowed the cleaning process to be managed and coordinated by the relevant departments and their staff.
As reported, a total of 820 dumping incidents were identified, which include piles of garbage smaller than one square meter, up to larger dumps with a volume exceeding 10 square meters.
According to the data collected by the application, the highest frequency of illegal dumps was found in municipalities with a larger geographical area and more sparsely built/inhabited areas, such as Ypsonas and Lakatamia, which indicates the increasing needs of cleaning in these municipalities. In addition, a significant amount of litter was found near public roads, while in larger municipalities several smaller volumes of litter were observed near roads and cul-de-sacs.
"The completion of this pilot program marks an important milestone in the fight against the illegal dumping of garbage and dogs in Cyprus," the announcement states. The pilot project provided important findings, which can be further exploited to inform the municipal waste management strategy, taking into account the particular needs of the municipalities and communities of Cyprus. As noted, this is a global innovation that is an excellent example of collaboration between local public bodies and the private sector, using emerging technologies to solve an important problem for Cyprus and many other countries.
"For the company PERIOPSIS, the successful completion of the pilot is an important step for the expansion of the DumpMapper service abroad, starting with municipalities in Greece and India, who have expressed their interest in using the service, also on a pilot basis for principle", the announcement states.
Source: KYPE