Filenews 15 August 2025 - by Dora Christodoulou
Cyprus, like most Mediterranean countries, is facing serious water scarcity problems. Increasing drought and the impacts of climate change make effective water management more urgent than ever. Speaking to "F", the Paphos MP of DIKO, Chrysanthos Savvidis, points out that in this gloomy climate, desalination plants can no longer be considered an adequate action on their own, but it is urgent to promote new dams in the area.
Paphos, with its thriving tourism industry, is at the heart of these challenges, he stresses. Desalination plants have undoubtedly offered some mitigation, but there is a clear need to move towards more comprehensive solutions, such as the construction of new dams, to ensure an adequate water supply in the future.
The need for the construction of two additional dams in the Paphos district, on the Diarizos River near the community of Souskios and on the River Ezousa near the community of Episkopi, becomes imperative due to the water situation, Mr. Savvidis argues. The studies for these projects have been completed for several years and it is now imperative that they be included in the priorities of the Water Development Department, in order to proceed with their construction and complete their operating procedures.
These dams, once completed, will help to have larger amounts of water and support the primary sector, including agriculture and livestock farming, ensuring their sustainable development, he notes.
In recent years, Cyprus has suffered from severe water shortages and the level of natural water sources, such as lakes and rivers, has dropped significantly, the Paphos MP said. The average annual rainfall is about 500 mm, which is significantly less than in other Mediterranean countries and is mainly concentrated in the winter months. However, storage is not enough to meet the country's demand, especially during the summer months, when water demand is growing rapidly due to tourism and farming, it says.
In water management, desalination plants play and will continue to play an important role in storing water and distributing it efficiently, he says.
Cyprus has several large reservoirs, such as the Kouris Dam, the Asprokremos Dam, the Evretos Dam, the Kannaviou Dam, which provide water for water supply, irrigation and tourist activities. However, according to Mr. Savvidis, water resources are often insufficient in Cyprus, especially during the summer months, when reservoirs are emptied and rainfall is extremely rare. In addition, increased demand due to the development of agriculture and tourism is putting additional pressure on the water supply system. In this case, desalination plants, although important, are not sufficient on their own to meet Cyprus' water demand, he says.
Paphos is growing and with it the water needs. The population has doubled in recent years, tourists have multiplied and hotel units are growing like mushrooms. Given this high demand for water, the need for new dams is imperative, he stresses.
The creation of new dams in Paphos could be a viable solution to the region's water problem, offering increased storage capacity to meet the needs of irrigation, water supply and tourism activities. The new infrastructure will facilitate the more efficient use of rainfall during the winter, ensuring the availability of water during the dry summer season, concludes Chrysanthos Savvidis.