The Nicosia District Local Government Organisation (EOA) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Mekorot Development & Enterprise, a subsidiary of Israel’s state-owned water company Mekorot, to share expertise on sustainable water management. The cooperation covers desalination, water reuse, smart water networks and staff training.
A key priority is to further reduce non-revenue water, meaning water supplied to the network but not billed, which currently stands at around 19%-20% in Nicosia. The cooperation will also focus on sewage and flooding issues. Cooperation between Cyprus and Mekorot is not new. The company has been involved in desalination projects in Cyprus since 2009, while the Water Development Department says it has worked with Mekorot since 2015.
Mekorot has been accused of unlawfully restricting Palestinians’ access to water and ignoring WHO recommendations.
The new agreement, however, has renewed scrutiny of Mekorot’s activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. Organisations including Amnesty International, Who Profits and Friends of the Earth International say the company is involved in a system that provides unequal access to water resources, favouring Israeli settlements while forcing Palestinians to buy water at much higher prices. Amnesty International also says hundreds of Palestinian communities either lack access to a formal water network or face frequent water cuts, particularly in summer.
The issue has also been raised in the European Parliament. In April 2025, a group of MEPs accused Mekorot of unlawfully restricting Palestinians’ access to water, contrary to WHO recommendations. They asked the European Commission to clarify whether the company continues to receive EU funding and how those funds are monitored.
Sources: European Parliament, Sigmalive, Fileleftheros
