Israeli Water Company Mekorot Expands to Strengthen Nicosia's Water Infrastructure Amid Crisis
Israeli national water company Mekorot has signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and enhance the water sector in the Nicosia district of Cyprus. The agreement focuses on reducing water loss in distribution systems, improving operational efficiency, and developing wastewater treatment infrastructure. Mekorot, recognized globally for its expertise in wastewater reuse with an 80% recycling rate for agriculture, will leverage its experience to provide practical water management solutions to Cyprus.
The memorandum was signed by Barak Gerber, head of Mekorot's international business unit, and Konstantinos Yourkdzis, president of EOA, the local government organization responsible for water supply, sewage systems, development licensing, and waste management in Nicosia. The signing ceremony included Iliana Toupa-Christidou, director of the desalination department, and Oren Anolik, Israel's ambassador to Cyprus.
Mekorot has been active in Cyprus for nearly 15 years, previously partnering to establish two desalination plants in Larnaca and Limassol that supply about 34 million cubic meters of water annually, a significant portion of Nicosia's water supply. This expansion comes as many countries face challenges such as declining rainfall, prolonged droughts, population growth, and rising water demand.
Mekorot's chairman, Attorney Moshe Shimon, emphasized that the new agreement reflects growing global demand for Israeli water expertise. He highlighted Mekorot's decades of experience managing water resources in semi-arid climates, offering solutions including national and regional water system planning, desalination, wastewater treatment and reuse, water loss reduction, reservoir and well management, remote monitoring, infrastructure protection, and advanced technology integration.
This initiative in Cyprus complements Mekorot's international projects in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, and Morocco. Recently, Mekorot hosted delegations from India, Uruguay, and Honduras to showcase Israel's water management model and explore collaboration opportunities. Shimon stated that Mekorot will continue expanding its international activities to help countries strengthen water security and prepare for future climate challenges.
