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Perspectives of water stress in Cyprus

Iacovos Iacovides Water Resources Specialist European Forum Cyprus "Cyprus without water? One island, one problem and some related challenges" Barcelona - Nov. 13-16, 2008. Perspectives of water stress in Cyprus. Council of Europe European Union Conseil de l'Europe Union européenne.

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Perspectives of water stress in Cyprus

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  1. Iacovos Iacovides Water Resources Specialist European Forum Cyprus "Cyprus without water? One island, one problem and some related challenges" Barcelona - Nov. 13-16, 2008 Perspectives of water stress in Cyprus Council of EuropeEuropean Union Conseil de l'EuropeUnion européenne

  2. Contents • Water Resources • Water Demands • Significant water management issues • Desertification • Drought

  3. Northern Part 30% Surface water 54% Groundwater 46% THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES ISLAND-WIDE (1951-1981)

  4. BALANCE “USEABLE” = 490 ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY 2860 EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (83%) 2370 BALANCE “USEABLE” 490 SURFACE WATER 295 GROUNDWATER 195 SURFACE WATER 295 DIVERSIONS 25 GROUNDWATER 195 + 43 PUMPING & SPRINGS 124 DAM RELEASES 125 EXCESS PUMPING -46 LOSSES 102 LOSSES 160 THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES AFTER 1970 (G.C. Southern part only (1970-2000)) AREA OF G.C. CYPRUS = 6153 km2 AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL = 465 mm TOTAL ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY = 2860 Mm3 83% EVAPOTRANSPIRATION = 2370 Mm3 River diversions = 25 Pumping =124 Use from dams = 125 Springs Aquifer recharge* = 43 Losses to sea = 160 Losses to sea = 102 Excess pumping = - 46 295 *238 490 490 Estimated >10% reduction

  5. Troodos Mountains Rainfall in 1917 - 1970 vs 1971 - 2000 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF PRECIPITATION RECORDS (1916-2000) SHOWS A STEP CHANGE AROUND 1970. 100 mm lower than older period (or 15 to 25% ) Data used for the design of dams Recentobservations 1970-2000 -100mm (15-25% less) YEAR OF DROP CHANGE

  6. Average annual rainfall (Southern-part) NOTICE THE DROP OF RAINFALL AT VARIOUS PERIODS: 1901-1970 541 mm 1971-2005 470 mm 1987-2008 453 mm

  7. Relation between annual rainfall and inflow for Kouris dam • Surface runoff reduction has been 20 to 60% FLOW - 34% RAIN-13%

  8. Inflow of water into dams (1987-2008) • The decrease of inflow to dams varies between 24% and 58%. The island has roughly 40% less water than had been assumed based on pre-1970 records

  9. Water storage in Dams (1988 – 2008) Present storage is 8.8 MCM or 3.2% of the 273.6 MCM Capacity Lowest ever

  10. The Morphou coastal aquifer(after M. Ergil: Eastern Mediterranean University) • meets the needs of the North (275 km2 45-100 m thick). Aquifer annual safe yield in northern Cyprus is 74 MCM. But 29 MCM are over-extracted (UNDP 1970, DSI 2002). Surface water (13MCM) and dams (7) make the total potential to 94 MCM Thus the water deficit of North Cyprus is about 12.5 million m3 (106.6 – 94.1)

  11. Water transport from Turkey (after G. Elgiran, M. Ergil, European Univ. Lefke) • Water transported in large water bags (10000 to 30000 m3) towed by ship from Anamur Turkey to the coast of Morphou in the period of 1998-2002 amounted to 4.1 MCM. TCM = Thousands m3

  12. Use of water resources in northern part of Cyprus (after World Bank) Some 76% are used for irrigation and 2% for livestock

  13. Options for solution of water problem in northern Cyprus • Conversion of traditional irrigation methods to modern irrigation on 1400 ha of land in Morphou • Rehabilitation and use of treated wastewater • Importation of 7 MCM from Turkey • Transportation cost of water imported from Turkey to Morphou by a tanker with a capacity of 40,000 m3 was found to be $0.79 per m3 (incl. infrastructure and port handling) (after H. Bicak & G. Jenkins, 1999). • Thus importation is competitive to desalination • Leakage in the network (est. 30%) is the most important variable affecting price of water. • Water resource development needs to focus on increasing the supply of potablewater at the expense of irrigation.

  14. Kokkinochoria aquifer water levels and sea intrusion (1994 -2000) > - 40 m 500 mg/l

  15. Akrotiri Aquifer: sea intrusion 2001 Hydrograph of borehole 775 (Elev. 15.63 m amsl) 1961-2001 500 mg/l

  16. Water Demand in southern part of Cyprus Some 69% goes to agriculture (182 MCM). Domestic accounts for 25% or 67.5 MCM (Only 5% goes to Tourism). TOURISM RESIDENTIAL

  17. Supply of water from GWWs (1991-2007) Note the steady increase in domestic demand; Irrigation demand steady but variable according to supply availability

  18. Domestic water supply sources (GWWs) (1991-2007) Desalination became a new source of supply after 1997 and 2001

  19. Irrigation water supply sources (GWWs) 1991-2007 Reuse of tertiary treated effluent for irrigation is the new added source; supply variable according to water availability; Better management for reliable but lesser quantities/ year

  20. Significant Water Management Issues • Over-exploitation of groundwaters • Hydromorphological pressures and quantity – flow of surface waters (degradation of natural characteristics) • Pollution: • Agricultural • Urban • Other sources (industry, mining, rainwater run-off) • Conservation of protected areas and significant hydrophilous ecosystems • Other issues • Administrative issues • Water pricing(Financial + Resource + Environmental Cost) • Pressures on coastal water bodies

  21. Significant Water Management Issues (continued) • Desalination (costs relying on imported fossil fuels (0.92Euro/m3 for Dhekelia and 0.68 for Larnaka) – Intensive use of energy: impact on the environment (indirect greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)) • Import of water from Greece or elsewhere (high cost about 5 Euro/m3) • Water Demand Management • Reduction of agriculture for the benefit of domestic supply • Control of leakages from distribution networks • Developing water awareness • Combating desertification • Water Scarcity and Drought

  22. Desertification is … Soil losing its productive capacity

  23. Factors of Desertification • Natural factors • climate • temperature • precipitation • soil • type • erosion • vegetation • species • Biomass

  24. Factors of Desertification • Human factors Over mining Population increasing Overgrazing Fires & Deforestation

  25. Desertification conditions in Cyprus as per UNESCO/FAO classification

  26. Effect of Climate Change to Desertification Under climate change desertification INCREASE by 23.5%

  27. Sensitive areas to DESERTIFICATION: Present conditions Fragile 42.3% Critical 57%

  28. Sensitive areas to DESERTIFICATION: Climate Change Scenario: 15% less rainfall and temperature increase by 1.3°C Fragile 29.5% Critical 70.4%

  29. Drought is … Lack of precipitation and/or A period of water shortage

  30. Drought is… Drought is a normal, repetitive climatologic feature There is 20% probability that annual rainfall could be 390-470 mm (drier years) and/or <390 mm (driest years) Water Supply Water Demand

  31. Trends in recorded rainfall and runoff • Rainfall: • Statistical analysis over 1916/1917-1999/2000 shows that the precipitation displays a step change around 1970. • For 1916/1917 to 1969/70 no trend can be detected. • For 1970/1971 to 1999/2000 a slight decreasing trend but not significant is noted. • For areas of elevation higher than 500 m, the mean annual precipitation in the recent period is lower by 100 mm or more than the mean of the older period (or 15% -25%) There is no proof that this decrease is due to global climate change, but this possibility is not necessarily excluded. • Runoff: • The lower rainfall has caused a significant reduction in the water available on the island as compared to the pre-1970 records. • Decreases in runoff for all the dams after 1970 with respect to the older time series vary between 20 and 60 percent. (13% reduction in ppt results to 34% reduction in runoff for Kouris)

  32. Trends in Demand • Demand: • Already the demand is much higher than the supply and is rising. New sources of water are scarce or very expensive. Water demand management through proper water pricing and reduction of agriculture need to be seriously considered if we are to maintain the acquired standard of living and combat desertification. Conditions are likely to become worse if the scenarios for Climate Change materialize.

  33. Thank You ! Ευχαριστώ ! Cok Mersi ! iaco@cytanet.com.cy

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