FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Cyprus is grappling with one of its worst droughts in decades, with water reserves plummeting to critically low levels.
New figures show water reserves have dropped to 17.4 percent of total dam capacity, according to the Water Development Department.
The decline marks a sharp drop from the same date last year, when reserves stood at 36.1 percent.
However, scorching temperatures reaching 44°C have intensified the crisis, fueling wildfires and threatening agriculture.
Officials reported zero inflow over the 24-hour period of data collection, with cumulative inflow since Oct. 1, 2024, totaling 18.66 million cubic meters — a level comparable to the 2015–2016 season, when just 17.91 million cubic meters were recorded.
The Kouris Dam, Cyprus’s largest, showed a capacity of just 15.2 percent on July 25, down from 32.5 percent a year earlier.
The dam holds up to 115 million cubic meters and accounts for a significant portion of the island’s total reservoir capacity of 290.8 million cubic meters.
Other dams are nearing depletion.
The Mavrokolympos Dam in Paphos has been empty since January due to technical failure. The Vizakia Dam is at 0.8 percent capacity, while the Achna Dam stands at 5.3 percent.