The Cabinet has approved an additional allocation of 3.5 million cubic metres of water for irrigation following a revised proposal submitted by Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou. The decision amends a previous recommendation by the Water Advisory Committee from April, which had initially proposed zero allocations for areas supported by the Southern Conveyor Project and the Paphos Major Irrigation Project because dam reserves were being prioritised for domestic tap water.
Under the newly approved framework, the Paphos Major Irrigation Project will receive 2 million cubic metres, while the Southern Conveyor Project has been allocated 1.5 million cubic metres.
Priority given to permanent crops
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, these supplementary quantities will be distributed exclusively to professional farmers. Priority will be granted to permanent crops, ensuring that all distributions remain strictly within the limits permitted by the national water balance. The ministry noted that the decision relies on specific commitments made by the Paphos District Governance Organisation, with which central authorities maintain close cooperation.
The decision represents an official approval of a revised distribution scheme for water reserves by region and use for 2026. This adjustment follows an assessment of actual domestic and agricultural needs based on updated hydrological data.
The move is part of a new strategic water resource management framework, which introduces a three-year planning horizon for the first time to guarantee water adequacy and maintain safe reserve levels. Despite an improvement in dam storage levels caused by rainfall during the early months of the year, official data indicates that prudent management remains vital. Consequently, the revised distribution model has been calculated using the worst-case scenario regarding future hydrological conditions.
Following this revision, the total water allocations for 2026 stand at 121.7 million cubic metres for domestic water supply and 41.2 million cubic metres for irrigation.
Strategic plan against water scarcity
The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the government is continuing the implementation of a comprehensive strategy to combat water scarcity. The national plan focuses on several key infrastructure and conservation pillars.
These initiatives include the construction of new desalination plants, the reduction of network distribution losses, the increased utilisation of recycled water and targeted water-saving actions across all sectors. The ultimate objective of the strategy is to shield the country against the ongoing impacts of climate change while ensuring that available water resources reliably meet the requirements of both citizens and agricultural production.
