Bulk Water Supply Project to Cyprus will be completed in soon.

01.06.2015
Author:Dursun Yıldız
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The past cannot be changed.

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30 May 2015 Dursun Yıldız Expert on Hydropolitics Director of Hydropolitics Academy Association Cyprus is very weak in terms of water supplies. Almost the entire water demand of the island is met through underground water resources. Cyprus is relatively dry, rationing water on occasion with an average annual rainfall of 19.7 inches -- what much of Colombia receives each month. Water quality in Cyprus is derogating since landfill areas are close to water resources and potable water blends into underground waters and water potential which is already limited is being reduced every other day. Ministry of Forests and Water Affairs has developed numerous projects until now such as convey water with balloons to meet the water demand of Turkish Republic of Northen Cyprus (TRNC) which is experiencing water shortage for years. The most appropriate way to offer a long term solution for the water problem of the foster land is to convey water from Turkey to island. Within scope of this project, water to be supplied from Alaköprü Dam to be constructed in Turkey will be passed through the sea and conveyed to Geçitköy Dam to be constructed in TRNC. Project The most critical point of Water Supply Project is “sea passage”. 160 pipes with 1600 mm diameter, 500 meters of continuous length was used for the sea passage .It will be possible to convey 75 million cubic meters of water to Cyprus with this project. This amount of water will transfer with 80 kilometers of HDPE pipe in total that will be laid under the mediterranean sea water by the end of this February.

The projects to transfer electricity and Dragon river water from Turkey to Turkish Republıc of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) .The project is expected to solve the northern Cyprus’s fundamental and chronic problems of water shortage and expensive electricity. When the project is realized, TRNC will have a resource to meet the water demand for a time frame of 50 years.

Potable water, industrial use and irrigation purposes will be possible with the received water and irrigated agriculture to be performed on a land of 4,824 hectares covered by the project will provide extensive contribution for the economic growth of the region. Sharing its everything with the foster land until now, Turkey will this time share its water with this project. Why it is a Peace River Project The Peace River project that will connect to Dragon river in Turkey to Cyprus and allow the transport of 75 million cubic meters of water annually from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC). The source of the water in Turkey, the Dragon River, has an annual capacity of 700 million cubic meters (185 million gallons), about 1/10th or 75 million cubic meters of which is to be piped to the island on completion.

Water from Turkey’s pipeline to the mythological island birthplace of the goddess of love Aphrodite should be seen as “an opportunity for peace” in Cyprus, Forestry and Water Works Minister Veysel Eroglu said. At a March 2011 groundbreaking ceremony for a dam related to the water pipeline project, northern Cyprus President Dervis Eroglu said, "In my view, the peace water project carries great importance for the Cyprus issue. Undersea stage of Water Pipeline The first block, which each one weights 220 tons, of the construction of the undersea pipeline for the "Water Supply project" has been completed in 27 March 2014 .The construction of the undersea pipeline, is the most difficult and crucial stage of the project. 126 pieces of anchorage blocks will be needed to complete the construction of the undersea water pipeline. A Dutch origin ship named "Fairplayer" supposed to make in total 8 trips. According to the written statement, the first block will be installed in 290 metre depth and the last block will be in 670 metre depth. Every trip will have a length of 9 days.

Cost of the Project A $450 million intergovernmental framework agreement for a giant project called the Peace River Project was signed in July 2010. The water transfer project between Turkey and the KKTC envisages the transport of water by pipe from the Alaköprü Dam constructed on the Dragon River in Anamur. The water will be transported to the Geçitköy Dam near Girne in the KKTC. The project, which is envisaged to be completed by July of this year funded by Turkey.The pipeline will provide 75 million cubic meters of water per year to Island from southern Turkey, while the cost of the project is expected to reach around 527,000 euros (1.12 billion TL). It Doesn’t exist in the World The pipeline will be the first of its kind,Such a suspended subsea pipeline of this size doesn’t exist in the world.Among pipeline risk-scenarios assessed were dangers from sinking vessels, quakes and tsunamis. It was firstly designed to be 130 meters under sea level, final designs lowered the pipeline to -250 meters “to allow submarines pass safely. Water supply project to Cyprus will be completed in August 2015. It is expected that Peace water pipeline project would bring stability and peace to Cyprus Island as well as the Eastern Mediterranean . Water scarcity on the Island of Cyprus, which is even today going through a stress, is highly likely to become much worse with the impact of climate change. “The Water Transmission Project to Cyprus by a Pipeline” is a very important step forward for a co-operation to be created over water. Such a co-operation would raise the Hydro-politics and Geopolitics importance of the Island of Cyprus which has become a hub for transportation network of energy resources.