**NICOSIA, Cyprus – December 29, 2025** – As the year draws to a close, Cyprus’s vital water infrastructure faces a precarious situation, with the island’s 18 main dams languishing at critically low levels. Despite a welcome influx of precipitation throughout December, the recent rainfall has proven insufficient to significantly bolster dwindling reserves, leaving the Water Development Department grappling with a persistent deficit.
The latest figures, released on December 29th, paint a sobering picture: the island's dams are currently holding only 9.2% of their total capacity, a mere 26.9 million cubic meters of water. This figure represents a marginal, almost imperceptible increase from the 9.3% recorded just six days prior, underscoring the inadequacy of the recent downpours to effect a substantial change. While the weather systems that swept across the island in December provided some relief, particularly in coastal areas, their impact on the crucial inland catchment zones, which feed the reservoirs, was considerably muted.
Analysis of the cumulative inflows for the first 29 days of December reveals a stark reality: a meagre 1.418 million cubic meters entered the dam network. This volume places the current month’s contribution among the poorest December performances observed since 2015. To provide a stark comparison, December of the preceding year, 2024, saw inflows of approximately 5.71 million cubic meters, highlighting the severity of the current shortfall. The period between December 23rd and December 29th, specifically, contributed a scant 170,000 cubic meters to the collective storage, a testament to the limited efficacy of the most recent weather patterns.
Several factors contribute to this persistent water scarcity. A significant portion of the rainfall experienced in December appears to have been lost to surface runoff, flowing directly into the sea rather than being captured and retained within the catchment areas. Furthermore, the prevailing weather patterns, while bringing some rain, did not deliver the sustained, heavy precipitation necessary to saturate the ground and allow for substantial replenishment of the underground aquifers that ultimately feed the dams. The mountainous regions of Troodos, crucial for generating snowmelt that augments water supplies, and other inland areas did not receive the deluge required to make a tangible difference.
The implications of these critically low water levels are far-reaching. The island's reliance on its dam network for potable water, agriculture, and other essential services places a heavy burden on these depleted reserves. The Water Development Department is now keenly looking towards the coming weeks, hoping for a significant shift in meteorological conditions. The prospect of sustained rainfall at higher elevations, coupled with substantial snowfall in the Troodos mountains, is now paramount to any meaningful improvement in reservoir levels. Without such a turn of fortune, Cyprus faces the daunting prospect of continuing its water management strategies under considerable strain, a situation that demands careful consideration and proactive planning for future water security.