THE ISLAND has experienced a 15 per cent drop in rainfall since 1970, while the demand for water has increased by three to four per cent on average every year.
With the capacity in the dams currently at a mere 9.2 per cent, compared with 23 per cent at this time last year, it’s obvious that we have a serious water shortage problem.
“The environment is very much on our minds following the recent Bali Conference on Climate Change,” said Thomas Miller, Counsellor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Nicosia, who yesterday organised a digital video conference on water resource management.
“Paphos, due to huge over-development, is experiencing a ten per cent annual increase in water demand, with stream run-off in general down by 40 per cent over the last three to four decades,” explained a representative of the Water Development Department.
He added that Cyprus has a negative water balance, meaning there was more demand than supply, “with the gap widening due to climatic conditions.”
The warning came as Agriculture Minister Fotis Fotiou visited Limassol’s Kouris dam yesterday, describing its capacity as “tragic”.
“The Limassol district requires between 21 and 22 million cubic metres of water annually, with the dam currently holding five million cubic metres, which is only enough to provide water for another two to three months,” he said, but added that residents in the area would not face cuts in the months to come.
The Minister added it had been agreed that no water from the dam would be channelled to other areas, except in an emergency. He also noted that water would be transferred to Limassol from the desalination units in Larnaca and Dhekelia.
Mary Ann Dickinson, founder and Executive Director of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the efficient and sustainable use of water, told the Nicosia conference it was imperative for water utilities to make sure that there was no leakage in their water distribution systems.
“Where is the water being distributed?” she wondered, on a link from Chicago.
“Utilities must look into retrofitting plumbing and appliances as this can save up to 20 per cent of a household’s water use. The toilet alone uses 40 per cent of a household’s water in the USA.”
She added that by reducing water, “you are also reducing energy use, which in turn saves greenhouse gas emissions.”
With the public ignoring repeated calls to scale down water usage, Dickinson suggested putting into place initiatives where customers will receive financial incentives to install water conservation equipment.
In addition, she called for building code legislation whereby new homes must be fitted with the most efficient fixtures available. “We need appliances such as dish and clothes washers to comply with strict water efficiency standards.”
According to Dickinson, wasteful consumers will only scale down their water usage if they’re hit in their pockets with high bills.
“People must be made to realise that water is as valuable a commodity as energy,” she said.
Dr Yogi Goswami of the University of South Florida, an expert on desalinisation and distillation, also took part in the conference.
“Florida actually faces similar problems to those found in Cyprus, with conventional desalination using a lot of electricity and being very expensive,” he explained.
Goswami has served as an advisor and given testimonies on energy policy and the transition to renewable energy to the US Congress and the government of India, as well as providing consultant expertise to the US Department of Energy and the World Bank, among others.
“Solar desalination is something to look into as it makes a lot of sense to use sunlight in areas where there is a lot of seawater. It is a sustainable solution for the future,
especially with other resources depleting.”
