THE IMPACT OF WATER STRESS AND STRATEGIES FOR COPING

1
THE IMPACT OF WATER STRESSAND STRATEGIES FOR
COPING

• Serap Öztürk
• Civil Engineer,North Cyprus

2
A GENERAL BACKGROUND

• Water Resources
• Groundwater(aquifers)
• 13 groundwater bodies with a total area of
  765.5 sq.km
• Surface Water (Small dams)
• 33 small dams ,18 for irrigation,15 for
  grundwater recharge
• total capacity 16.5 mi cu .m
• Desalination Plants
• 3 in operation
• Treated Effluent Of Wastewater Treatment Plants

3
A GENERAL BACKGROUND

• Cyprus ,a country 95 dependent on
  groundwater,for domestic water supply and
  irrigation,the resources
• replenished by precipitation
• Gradual decrease in precipitation
• Year Amount of rainfal(mm)
• 2004 396.1
• 2005 348.4
• 2006 346.3
• 2007 379.3
• 2008 104.3

4
Effects of Human Activities

• Overpumping the aquifers
• Extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides
• Construction boom
• Lekage problems in water distribution systems
• Lack of sewage systems
• Reflecting defects in water management and the
  infrastucture

5
PROBLEMS

• Adverse effects of decrease in precipitation and
  human activities
• 1. Güzelyurt (Morphou) Aquifer
• Chemichal Pollution
• Microbiological pollution
• Drops in water levels
• Kyrenia Range Aquifer
• Drops in water levels
• 3. Yesilköy Aquifer
• Turba formation
• Microbiological pollution
• Drops in water levels

6
PROBLEMS

• Surface Waters
• Continuous decrease in the amount of water
  collected
• Year of total capacity Amount of
  water(mi .cu.m)
• 2003 88
  14.52
• 2004 91.3
  15.37
• 2005 64.0
  9.32
• 2006 56.2
  9.28
• 2007 41.1
  6.79
• 2008 20.0
  3.38

7
WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND

• The amount of water used for irrigation 60mil.
  m3/year
• The amount of water pumped from 132 borholes for
  domestic use
• 26 mil.m3/ year, approx 22 mil.m3 / year
  reaches consumer
• Domestic water demand (including tourism
  activities) 30 mil. M3/year
• Deficit in domestic water supply 8 mil.m3/year
• Future domestic water demand forecast (2025)
  44mil.m3/year

8
NEEDS

• Need to have control over irrigation(limitations
  on areas to be irrigated ,change irrigation
  methods, change crop patterns)
• Need for better Water management
• Need to have the legal framework to backup
  contemporary water management.
• Need to have new water tarrifs.
• Lekage detection

9
ACTIONS TAKEN

• A Crisis Management Committee established.
• A strategy plan prepared.
• Work on Legal framework ongoing ,technical help
  from EU
• Investment projects on water infrastucture being
  prepared under EU Aid program.
• A seawater desalination plant tendered for Gazi
  Magusa.

10
ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES

• Tranport by tankers ,as an emergency precaution.
• Desalination plants.
• Use of treated WWTP effluent for irrigation.
• Pipeline for Water transporation.

11
WHAT CAN BE DONE JOINTLY

• Data sharing and cooperation.
• Joint awareness raising programmes.
• Joint pilot projects for water saving
• Joint actions for promoting use of grey waters.
• Joint actions for promoting rain harvesting.

12

• Never forget
• Drought has no boundaries

13
Thank You

• soztev_at_yahoo.com