Water Scarcity Impacts On Northern Cyprus And Alternative Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

Water scarcity on Northern Cyprus started in the 1960s and continued thereafter, prompting several studies and research to identify levels of water deficiency on the whole island. The backbone of the country's economy is agriculture, and mostly small-scale farming is practiced. Citrus fruit cultivation produces the majority of exports from Northern Cyprus. Hence, irrigation plays a great role in achieving efficient yields of these fruits. In 1997, the General Directorate of the State Hydraulic Works of Turkey (DSI) prepared a report for the Guzelyurt area. Uncontrolled irrigation of the fields, delayed replacement of old irrigation techniques with modern ones, and poor conveyance efficiency of municipal pipelines and network systems caused over-abstraction of water from available aquifers. This phenomenon resulted in higher levels of salt contamination due to salt-water intrusion in the coastal aquifers. In this study, economic, environmental, and social impacts of water problems on Northern Cyprus are examined and discussed.