Article

Cyprus is facing a severe water crisis, entering its fourth year of reduced rainfall, with current water reserves at 14% capacity. The Water Development Department has urged a 10% reduction in water consumption, as some areas consume over 500 liters per person daily, significantly above the European average.

The government plans to address this by constructing seven new desalination plants by the end of 2026, increasing total water supply capacity by 66%. Current desalination capacity is 235,000 cubic meters daily, with ongoing projects expected to raise it to 397,000 cubic meters. Recent rainfall has not sufficiently improved dam inflows, necessitating urgent demand management.