The government has approved 3.5 million cubic metres of additional irrigation water for 2026 following a proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
The decision follows a review of the country’s water data by the Water Development Department (WDD) and is intended to support professional farmers without significantly affecting Cyprus’ longer-term water balance.
Water allocated to two systems
Of the additional irrigation water, 3 million cubic metres will be allocated through the Unified Southern Conveyor Scheme.
This includes:
- 2 million cubic metres for autumn seasonal crops, particularly potatoes.
- 1 million cubic metres to support tree crops.
A further 500,000 cubic metres will be provided through the Paphos Major Irrigation Project to address needs arising from the approved water allocation scenario in the Paphos area.
The measure directly supports professional farmers and potato growers preparing and sowing autumn crops. It also covers orchards, citrus plantations and other tree crops supplied by the Southern Conveyor network, as well as farmers in the Paphos district served by the project.
Review of water reserves
The Cabinet had initially approved a total allocation of 121.7 million cubic metres for drinking water and 41.2 million cubic metres for irrigation in decisions taken on 22 January and 9 June 2026.
The irrigation allocation included 18.8 million cubic metres from dams and irrigation boreholes.
Following instructions from the Agriculture Minister, the WDD reviewed the irrigation water allocation scenarios for 2026–2028.
The review took into account updated data on inflows, consumption and reserves following June 2026. It concluded that the additional 3.5 million cubic metres could be provided without significantly changing the overall management of water reserves for 2027 and 2028.
Continued monitoring
The additional allocation will remain subject to continuous monitoring of consumption by the WDD.
If significant changes are recorded in water inflows or reserves, the department can take corrective measures to safeguard the country’s water supply.
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