World Water Day reminds of the importance of water

The efficient use of water resources is a cornerstone of the government’s strategy as it transitions to a green economy, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said on Tuesday opening Nicosia Water Board’s renovated building on World Water Day.

“Water is a valuable legacy for our future generations,” Nouris said.

The annual day, marked around the world, was established to underline the importance of water along with the efficient management of water resources, aiming at ensuring access to water and sanitation for all by 2030. This year’s theme is ‘Groundwater: Making the invisible visible’.

Groundwater is found beneath the earth’s surface in underground aquifer’s formed by rocks, sand and gravel. It accounts for nearly 99 per cent of all liquid freshwater in the world, and currently provides half of the water used for domestic consumption and a quarter of all water used for irrigation globally. It is mainly replenished from rain and snowfall and our overall dependence on it is expected to rise as surface water availability becomes increasingly limited due to climate change.

Developing water supplies resilient to climate change in many parts of the world involves the use of groundwater in conjunction with rivers, lakes and other surface water reservoirs.

Cyprus has 66 aquifers of national importance.