Cyprus addresses Mediterranean water scarcity and domestic infrastructure challenges

On September 29, 2026, the 2nd Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Ministerial Meeting on Water took place in Rome. Andreas Gregoriou, representing Cyprus, joined 40 delegations in adopting a new Ministerial Declaration focusing on water resilience, integrated resource management, and the use of unconventional water sources such as desalination and wastewater reuse. Participants emphasized the urgent need to transition from political commitments to concrete actions and investments to mitigate mounting pressures on Mediterranean water resources.

Simultaneously, domestic challenges have come to the forefront in Cyprus. During the Cyprus Forum 2026, officials, including Water Development Department (WDD) Director Iliana Tofa Christidou, discussed the necessity of moving beyond temporary crisis management toward long-term infrastructure reliability. A recent report revealed severe operational deficiencies within the WDD, noting that 39.4% of positions remain vacant and the department lacks 100% of its required senior water officials. These administrative gaps have led to the loss of €38 million in European funding. While the department oversees an investment program of €1.17 billion and critical infrastructure valued at over €1 billion, experts warn that water management must be treated as a matter of national security to effectively combat the effects of prolonged drought and climate change.