Cyprus boosts irrigation water supply as infrastructure projects advance

The Cypriot Council of Ministers approved the allocation of an additional 3.5 million cubic meters of irrigation water for the remainder of 2026. This decision, announced by Minister of Agriculture Christos Senekis, follows a review of hydrological data by the Water Development Department. The water will be distributed with 3 million cubic meters allocated to the Southern Conveyor Project and 500,000 cubic meters to the Paphos irrigation scheme, primarily supporting autumn seasonal crops, such as potatoes, and orchards.

Simultaneously, infrastructure development continues across the region. In Limassol, several water storage tanks have been completed or are in the final stages of oversight, funded by the local organization and the EU's Next Generation initiative. Furthermore, the government has launched a long-term strategy involving over 200 million euros in investments through 2031. This program includes the construction of four new second-generation desalination plants in Agia Thekla, Polis Chrysochous, and eastern and western Limassol, aimed at reducing dependence on rainfall.

While officials acknowledge that this increase in water supply provides relief for the primary sector, they emphasized that the country continues to face long-term water scarcity. Future steps include the development of a livestock strategy and continued monitoring of water management to ensure agricultural sustainability.