Rainfall this winter could be scant, perhaps even less than last year, a senior officer at the Water Development Department (WDD) said on Monday.

Speaking to the public broadcaster, Yianna Economidou said the drought is forecast to enter its fourth year in a row.

“We’re facing one of the most difficult hydrological periods of the past years,” she said.

The department of meteorology forecasts that this winter will also be a dry one, perhaps drier than last year.

“Unless we get substantial rains,” said Economidou, “water reserves could run out, especially in the areas fed by the southern conveyor, namely Limassol, Larnaca, Nicosia and Famagusta.”

The WDD functionary recalled that the island’s dams are currently at just 11 per cent of capacity.

The reservoirs now hold 32 million cubic metres of water – compared to 77 million cubic metres at the same period last year.

Paphos fares slightly better than the other districts, said Economidou.

This, she explained, is because the desalination facility damaged by fires is now back online. She was alluding to the plant located between Mandria and Kouklia, gutted by a fire in December 2024.

In addition, dams in Paphos district are in better shape than dams elsewhere. Meanwhile, the desalination units installed at Kissonerga – and which had been operating at below capacity – will reach fully capacity by November.

As such, water supply in Paphos should not face “any particular problem” in 2026.

But at the same time, water for irrigation is in extremely short supply. The quantities made available to farmers for 2026 will be considerably restricted.

“We’ve already advised farmers not to plan on planting new crops without first confirming the available water quantities,” the WDD officer said.

Regarding the scheme to install small private desalination units – generating up to 1,500 cubic metres a day – these would be subsidised and used for the purposes of both water supply and irrigation.

Farmers and hoteliers owning plots of land in coastal areas are eligible for the scheme. Their applications would be fast-tracked.