The total cost of the massive wildfire in the Limassol mountains last week could rise by an additional €20 million, mainly due to long-term environmental destruction, Professor Theodoros Zachariadis of the Cyprus Institute (CYI) said on Monday.

While the immediate financial impact includes damages to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, such as water and electricity networks, Zachariadis warned that the ecological loss, which is not reflected in traditional economic calculations, is likely to significantly increase the overall cost.

Zachariadis said the destruction of natural ecosystems carries an “invisible cost” that will be felt by society for years to come.

“This additional cost,” he said, “will not show up on spreadsheets, but it is very real. Its consequences will unfold over time, affecting our society in many ways.”

Everyone, he added, will gradually bear the burden of this damage. Rising medical expenses due to air pollution, flood prevention works made necessary by the loss of vegetation, higher travel and recreation costs as people seek unburnt natural areas, and reduced quality and increased prices in agricultural and livestock products are all expected outcomes of the environmental degradation.

“This is the wildfire’s second bill, one that underscores the urgent need for serious prevention,” Zachariadis concluded.

He called for investments in firebreaks, controlled grazing, land management and proactive measures.