Drought-stricken Cyprus signs contract to ship water from Greece

Apr 22, 2008, 8:30 GMT

Athens/Nicosia - The drought-stricken eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus will begin importing water from neighbouring Greece within the next two months in order to deal with a severe water shortage, reports said Tuesday.

The island's reservoirs have reached dangerously low levels and its two desalination plants are unable to keep up with industry and household demand.

Cypriot officials signed a contract with a local company, Ocean Tankers, to import approximately 8 million cubic metres over the summer period starting at the end of June.

'The Greek government has promised to give us 8 million cubic metres - there is an option to increase this amount. Any increase depends on the goodwill of the Greek government and any needs that may arise,' said Agriculture Minister Michalis Polynikis after signing the deal with Ocean Tankers.

Polynikis said that the island's water shortage problem was estimated at 16 million cubic metres.

The government has applied emergency measures which include cutting water supply to district distribution networks by 30 per cent in an effort to tackle the shortage.

Households are supplied with water three times a week for around 12 hours but many across the island claim they are left without water for up to four to five days.

Cyprus, which is heavily reliant on rainfall for water supplies, is suffering one of the worst droughts and water shortages of the past 100 years.

The Mediterranean island's 109 reservoirs are only 9 per cent full and Cyprus' largest dam, the Kouri, is expected to run dry in the next few months, according to the most recent data.

According to official statistics, rainfall in Cyprus has dropped by about 20 per cent over the past 35 years and unseasonal weather has seen temperatures rising above 30 degrees Celsius.

Across the island, water is being pumped out of the earth at an unsustainable pace, mainly by farmers who have had to deal with four consecutive years of water cuts by authorities.