The Council of Ministers has approved a fifth package of measures addressing Cyprus’ ongoing water challenges, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment Maria Panayiotou announced during a visit to Paphos on Friday. The new plan, she said, marks another decisive step toward ensuring long-term water security for the island amid the escalating effects of drought and climate change.
Panayiotou said that three additional mobile desalination units will be installed in Episkopi, Vasilikos, and the Famagusta district, expanding the network that already includes installations in Kissonega, Garyllis, Moni, and the Limassol Port area. Once all seven units are fully operational, they will add at least 77,000 cubic meters of water per day-a volume exceeding the combined production of Cyprus’ two permanent desalination plants in Vasilikos and Paphos.
She also said that a key component of the plan is the Water Governance Reform Action Plan, which aims to modernize and unify the management of water resources. ‘We recognized the need for a more integrated governance system,’ Panayiotou said. ‘This reform will enhance supervision, improve the technical and administrative capacity of water authorities, and accelerate the completion of infrastructure projects,’ she added.
The government, as the Minister said, has also finalized plans for two new permanent desalination plants one in Famagusta and one in Eastern Limassol adding to the five existing facilities across the island. She said that feasibility studies are set to begin within the year, with operations expected by the end of 2029. The new units will run on renewable energy sources, and once completed, will allow 100% of the country’s drinking water needs to be met through desalinated water.
The Minister noted that these developments will increase desalinated water production by over 32%, significantly improving water security within months while maintaining progress toward full reliance on desalinated sources.
For the first time, she added, the 2026 national budget will allocate more than pound 140 million for the purchase of desalinated water.
In addition to drinking water projects, the Ministry is advancing key recycled water initiatives, including the Larnaca-Tersefanou Reclaimed Water Project, the Western Nicosia (Anthoupoli) Project, and the completion of the Aradippou Dam to support irrigation in the region. Ongoing work continues on irrigation networks in Solea, Kokkinichoria, Larnaca, Akrotiri, Germasogeia, and Paphos.
Panayiotou highlighted that reclaimed water now covers 37% of the agricultural sector’s needs, a 10% increase from 2024, marking the highest contribution to agriculture from non-conventional water sources in the country’s history.
pound 5.25 million fire prevention and land revitalization plan
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The Minister said that the Cabinet also approved a pound 5.25 million package of measures to tackle the dual challenges of climate change and wildfire risk, offering incentives to farmers, citizens, and communities to revive abandoned agricultural land and reduce flammable vegetation in rural and forest-adjacent areas.
The plan includes a pound 4.1 million state aid scheme to support the restoration of abandoned farmland. Financial assistance will be offered at pound 500 per decare for dry permanent crops at altitudes between 200-499 meters, pound 1,090 per decare for vineyards up to 799 meters, and pound 1,414 per decare for vineyards above 800 meters. The aid will cover 65% of replanting and cultivation costs, totaling pound 3.5 million in ‘de minimis’ support.
Additional environmental commitments will be rewarded with up to pound 60 per decare to maintain restored plots, while further participation in agricultural and rural development programs could yield pound 300 per decare for vineyards and pound 86 for other dry crops.
Through the LEADER program, another pound 1.15 million will be allocated, covering up to 100% of costs, for fire protection equipment, fuel management, and controlled grazing in high-risk zones near forested communities.