Water resources in Cyprus have reached a state of emergency in the face of extreme, prolonged droughts.
Rainfall in recent days has done little to alleviate the situation, with the country's agriculture minister saying that inflow to the dams totals a mere two million cubic metres so far, with reserves sitting at just 10 per cent.
In an emergency meeting held on Friday 23 January, the Cypriot Council of Ministers approved a new package of measures worth €31 million, with the total projects amounting to more than €200 million.
Citizens asked to reduce water usage by 10 per cent
The government aims to have a total of nine new desalination plants in operation by the end of 2026. But the measures do not stop there and citizens have been invited to join the effort.
In particular, the Agriculture Minister said that everyone should personally reduce their water consumption by 10 per cent, which equates to reducing running water usage by two minutes per day.
Farmers have already been informed that they will receive 30 per cent less water this year compared with last year.
Cyprus is consulting with the United Arab Emirates, both to provide expertise on water scarcity and to supply desalination plants.
In 2025, the Arab country sent 13 desalination units to Cyprus free of charge under a bilateral agreement.
