The government of Cyprus has announced that solving a serious and upcoming water crisis is its most important national goal. It has revealed a strategy worth many millions of euros, which focuses heavily on building more desalination plants. This urgent action comes after official predictions showed that 2025 will be the driest year the island has seen since 1901. This alarming forecast has pushed the authorities to act quickly. The plan, which uses a large amount of funding from the European Union, is the biggest financial investment in water security the country has ever made.
Cyprus is currently suffering its worst long-term drought ever recorded. This extreme weather threatens both farming and the water supply for homes. Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou stressed how serious the situation is. She stated that the projection for 2025 has moved the government from making backup plans to starting immediate, large-scale action. Desalination, the process of removing salt from seawater, is now the main part of the government's strategy.
The plan involves building at least seven new desalination facilities, with key locations in Limassol, Paphos, and Famagusta. A budget of over €200 million has been set aside, with more than €140 million dedicated only to buying desalinated water. Minister Panayiotou called this the largest amount ever provided for this purpose. At the same time, the government has made it easier to register private desalination units. Money is also being given to local organizations to urgently fix old water networks and prevent major losses.
This water project is part of a larger EU-funded program for Cyprus called THALEA 2021-2027. However, the strong focus on desalination has some critics. Charalambos Theopemptou, a Green Party MP, has expressed concerns about the environmental impact. He worries about the salty wastewater the plants produce and how it might harm sea life and fishing. The government insists that all new projects will follow strict environmental rules and studies, arguing that the threat of having no water makes these steps necessary.
The crisis shows a long-term challenge for Cyprus. The huge investment for 2025 makes it clear that adapting to a drier climate is an urgent task. The success of this plan will depend not just on how much water it produces, but also on how sustainably it can operate under growing climate pressures.