Plans afoot to deal with potential water shortages

Plans are afoot to deal with potential water shortages in Cyprus after a year of below average rainfall so far, water development department deputy director George Kazantzis said on Saturday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he said his department is now engaged in “long-term planning” based on the possibility of future water shortages caused by climate change.

He said that at present, Cyprus’ reservoirs are only 27 per cent full, and that, “so long as we do not have rain, this level will continue to decrease”.

As such, he said, Cyprus’ five water desalination units have been operating at maximum capacity and all the mechanical problems they have faced in the past have now been dealt with.

In the immediate future, he said efforts are now being made to prevent water shortages, particularly in the Paphos district, where Governor Charalambos Pittokopitis had raised concerns in recent days regarding water levels.

Kazantzis said his department “has been working for months to draw up an action plan to deal with the water shortage”, and that that plan will be submitted to cabinet for approval “in the coming days”.

The plan, he said, includes “immediate actions”, which include the provision of mobile desalination units to the Paphos and Limassol district and an expansion of the existing desalination units’ capacity.

He was also asked about the possibility of “artificial rain” being created by cloud seeding, and said “it is something being discussed, but we have not decided.”

“The problem with this technology is its low success rate, but given the situation which is prevailing at the moment with the drought, all solutions are being considered,” he said.

He added, “we are looking at it in depth, and, depending on the cost, it will become clear whether or not it will be a solution going forward.”

“The technology has advantages and disadvantages, and we certainly do not want to do anything hastily,” he said.

He was then asked whether artificial rain may end up spiralling out of control and resulting in floods but said “I am not an expert on meteorology, and there could be such a risk, but the main danger which may exist is that of modifying the climate by creating hail.”