UCL Grand Challenge of Sustainable Cities Symposium:
Glass half empty? Urban water poverty halfway through the
Decade of Water for Life
10th June, 2010
University College London, U.K
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 Water scarcity has always been a very serious problem for
Cyprus
– Cyprus and Malta are
the “water poor” countries
of Europe

Semi-arid climate
 Limited water resources
› Depend mainly on rainfall
› Scarce & expensive to exploit

Unevenly distributed rainfall
 Frequent occurrence of droughts
 Many small catchments, but no perennial flow
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
Official population of Cyprus
estimated at 885,600 at the
end of 2008 (75.5% were
Greek Cypriots, 10% Turkish
Cypriots and 14.5% were
foreign residents)

Climate models predict rise in
temperature and increase in
the intensity and frequency of
extreme drought events

These conditions, coupled with
increased water demands are
worsening the water scarcity
problem in Cyprus
Stepped drop of
precipitation in the early 70s
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Kouris Dam
April 2004
Stored Water Volume = 115Mm3


Kouris Dam
Dec 2008
SWV = 1Mm3
The 2008 winter was extremely dry and the
inflow to the reservoirs was only 18,7 MCM
Water reserves of underground aquifers were
drastically reduced and water storage in the
dams had reached dangerously low levels
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Figures represent water demand by sector (Agriculture,
Domestic, Industrial and Environmental) and the water
sources for each sector respectively.
Water demand is more than the supply and water
needs, especially for irrigation, are rarely satisfied
› Since 1996, water demand for irrigated agriculture was satisfied
only in 2004 when all dams over-spilled
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Water Demand share by sector and contribution to GDP for the year 2006
•The Industrial (secondary) sector which includes manufacturing, energy
production and construction produces19% of the gross domestic product (GDP)
and the total water demand share as abovementioned 1,5%.
•The tertiary (service) sector contributes about 78% of the gross domestic product.
• In 2006 the revenues of tourism amounted to 1,755.3 million Euros which
represents 14% of the GDP for that particular year and around 7% of the total
water demand share.
•The striking imbalance of economic return on water input can be seen in the
agricultural (primary) sector. Agriculture accounts for 66% of the annual water
demand with a measly contribution of 3% to the country’s economy.
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

Integrated & sustainable approach to
water management
Strategic planning
› Long term actions to meet future
demands under scarcity conditions
› Short term actions to face a particular
drought event within the existing
framework
Applied to all Government Water Works (GWW) on a yearly
basis, depending on climatic conditions
 Includes restrictions to water use & other water demand and
supply management measures
 Water from GWW allocated to different uses with priority to
domestic sector, including tourism
 Remaining quantity allocated to agriculture using a quota
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system & penalty charges for over-consumption

Allocation
of water
from
GWW
Implementation embarked in the late 60s
 Objective: to satisfy in a sustainable way the
different users of water and safeguard
human & other life
 Measures implemented to increase water
availability and decrease water demand

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Accumulated
Storage Capacity
(MCM of water)
Increased dams capacity
 Drilled boreholes for domestic and irrigation purposes
 Constructed water treatment plants
(already desalination makes up for almost 40% of domestic water supply with
a clear upward trend)
 Recharge works
(recycled water used to recharge depleted aquifers in order to reduce the
effects of sea intrusion)
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

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Installed improved on farm irrigation systems
Constructed modern, efficient conveyance and distribution
systems
Imposed water charges for domestic and irrigation water
Despite the significant measures, available water was not enough
 Climatic conditions: A drop of 20% in
precipitation resulting to a 40%
Inflow of water to the Dams (MCM)
reduction in surface runoff
More frequent occurrence of extreme
drought events
Rapid increase in population and
tourist arrivals in Cyprus
Deterioration of groundwater quality
and quantity: In the attempt to meet the
increasing water demand or to mitigate
drought effects, groundwater resources
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have been heavily over-pumped
 Government forced to turn to
seawater desalination in 1997
 One mobile & two permanent
plants currently in operation
› Additional plants in construction / planning phase


Objective is to eliminate the dependency of potable
water on rainfall
Despite environmental & financial costs, experience
has shown that desalination remains the only means
of achieving water security and independence of
domestic water from climatic behaviour
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

Recycled water for irrigation and recharge purposes
is a growing resource in Cyprus
Grey water is a means of reducing water
consumption in households (water used for washing is collected in
a separate system and reused after filtration for toilet flushing and domestic
irrigation)
Virtual Water Concept: is the volume of water used in the
production process of a commodity (good or service).
The amount of water in a product, not in its real sense but
in its virtual sense, whereby the virtual metaphor refers to
the invisible water that is required during the production
process of a certain product, measured at the place of
production.
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It is much more preferable for water scarce countries to import
virtual water via food products rather than using the limited
domestic water resources for their production.
This is called Virtual Water Trade and it allows relief to high water
stressed countries.
Example from Zoumides’ recent virtual crop studies of Cyprus
(Zoumides, 2010).
Cyprus utilises barley both from domestic and foreign origin.
The virtual water content of one ton of barley produced within
Cyprus is 2237 m3 whereas the same quantity of imported barely
from Ukraine requires only 713 m3.
country saves water by importing rather than producing
all the required barley quantity itself.
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
Metering of water consumption

Water charges on a volumetric basis

Programs to reduce distribution losses

Installation of improved on farm irrigation systems

Measures to promote a water-saving culture &
efficiency of water use

Water rationing during periods of drought

Subsidies for saving potable water
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
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Cyprus is progressing towards full
implementation of the WFD
Committed to the efficient and
effective implementation of the WFD
principles and provisions
WFD came into force in Dec 2000 and
› Establishes a legal framework to protect
and restore clean water across Europe
› Ensures long-term and sustainable use of
water
› Sets the goal of achieving “good status”
for all of Europe's surface waters and
groundwater by 2015
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
In response to the acute drought Cyprus was faced with
in 2008, a series of emergency measures were applied:
› Transfer of potable water from Greece, using tankers
› Almost 100% ban on water supply to agriculture
› Strict restrictions on drinking water supply to households (only 36
hrs per week)
› Extension of the existing desalination plants capacity and
installation of mobile ones
› Treatment of the Garillis aquifer to potable water
› Use of new boreholes & purchase of water from private boreholes
for domestic supply
› Intensification of water saving promotion campaigns and financial
incentives for saving potable water
Restrictions on the supply of drinking water have only been lifted
recently, 2nd February 2010
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Basic objectives of the Water Policy of Cyprus should be:

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To keep in check increasing demands of water by appropriate
pricing mechanisms
to apply irrigation water more in line with actual plant requirements,
to adjust cropping patterns in favour of crops with lower water
requirements (virtual water concept) or promote crops with
considerable less need of irrigation water for their growth and
production
to reduce losses of domestic water from urban water supply
distribution systems
to increase the efficiency of domestic use
to explore possible rainwater utilisation
to intensify water saving promotion campaigns
to provide financial incentives for saving potable water
to maintain and enhance the quality of water and
to introduce new efficient management procedures through the
establishment of one Water Entity.
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
Important decision-making tools for the
instrumentation of an integrated water
resources management

The Water Development Department (WDD) of
Cyprus could benefit from models related to
desalination, water recycling, dam operation
management, etc.
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
Optimisation of the operations of the desalination
plants (economic parameters)
› Monthly output based on demand

Dam operation management (objective: to
minimise losses)
› Transfer from one dam to other

Decision making tool for the allocation of recycled
water
› Allocation between ponds, irrigation, aquifer recharge
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
Future presents many challenges for Cyprus
› Rapid social changes
› Further economic development
› Climate change
› Water scarcity & droughts
› Escalating water demands in a continuously changing
environment

All necessary measures must be taken to ensure water
security now and in the future through an integrated
multi-objective approach for water management
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