Cyprus secured a specific reference to desalination and the reuse of treated wastewater in the joint declaration adopted at the MED9 Environment Ministers’ Summit in Sibenik, Croatia, held on May 18 and 19, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
The ministry said the wording reflected Cyprus’ position that desalination and treated wastewater reuse should not be viewed only as emergency responses, but as key elements of long-term water policy and water security in water-scarce areas of the Mediterranean.
Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou was represented at the summit by Dr Costas Constantinou, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Environment.
During his interventions, Dr Constantinou underlined the need to strengthen the resilience of water supply systems, with emphasis on reducing water losses in distribution networks. He also referred to the role of innovative digital tools and renewable energy sources in the sustainable management of water resources.
He presented data and examples from Cyprus on the use of desalination and treated wastewater reuse, stressing their importance for safeguarding water security across Mediterranean countries.
Linking water policy and marine protection
In the discussion on protecting marine ecosystems, Dr Constantinou referred to the “source-to-sea” approach, noting that water and marine ecosystems should be treated as a single, interconnected system.
He also highlighted the need to develop a common methodology for monitoring microplastics, with the aim of tackling marine pollution more effectively.
The summit focused on strengthening cooperation and political dialogue on the resilience and sustainability of the Mediterranean, with particular emphasis on the link between water management and protection of the marine environment, the ministry said.
Source: CNA
