Cyprus' initiative to develop a new holistic water strategy, which promotes a more resilient and sustainable agricultural development in the Mediterranean, has received strong support from EU member states, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, who represented Cyprus at the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of the European Union, which was held in Brussels on January 27, told CNA.
Ms. Panayiotou emphasized that the position of both Cyprus and the MED9 member states is to create a new holistic strategy regarding water and water resilience.
In practice, as he said, "this means more and specific funding for infrastructure, storage infrastructure, infrastructure for the use of water from alternative sources, such as desalination and tertiary treatment, and of course practical support for our farmers, who are experiencing the effects of water scarcity with a reduction in their incomes."
"That is why our proposal is to create a new European tool for the resilience of water resources, ensuring support for the primary sector in the face of the increasingly intense challenges of climate change," the Minister of Agriculture underlined.
"It is important that Cyprus received strong support from EU member states, in addition to the Mediterranean states," he concluded.
According to an update from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ms. Panayiotou, representing Cyprus in the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of the European Union, informed the member states about the joint letter of the Ministers of Agriculture of the nine Mediterranean countries, which was sent under the Cyprus Presidency of MED9 to all the competent Commissioners of the new European Commission.
In this letter, it is noted, "the Ministers ask the Commission to immediately conclude a new holistic Water Resilience Strategy, which will include funding for the production of water from unconventional sources, such as desalination, tertiary treatment, the creation of water storage and transportation infrastructure, the application of advanced technologies in its management, as well as strengthening agricultural insurance against drought and floods."
At the same time, it is added, "immediate measures are required to protect the primary sector from the effects of extreme weather events, as the availability of water resources is crucial for the sustainability of agriculture and livestock farming."
"This letter, which was based on the Joint Declaration on the "Drought Threat to the Primary Sector of the Mediterranean Member States", which was issued during the MED9 Ministerial Meeting in Cyprus, received significant support not only from the MED9 member states, but also from other EU member states, which strengthens the effort for more targeted and direct European action against the growing challenges of climate change in the Mediterranean", it is underlined.
"Cyprus received strong support from EU member states, which confirms the importance of its initiative, which promotes a more resilient and sustainable agricultural development in the Mediterranean," it is noted.
It is also reported that "Cyprus, together with other countries, is leading the effort to create a new European tool for the resilience of water resources, ensuring support for the primary sector in the face of the increasingly intense challenges of climate change."
"Cyprus will continue to lead initiatives for a resilient and sustainable agricultural future in the Mediterranean," it added.
"Our next step is to intensify discussions at the European level, in order to formulate substantive policies and support mechanisms that will ensure continuous and sustainable water management for the agricultural sector," it is emphasized.
Source: KYPE
