Adaptation of Cyprus Agriculture to Climate Change

Dear Colleagues,

The Mediterranean region has been identified as one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change. Specifically, temperatures in the Mediterranean are projected to rise significantly by the end of the 21st century, while precipitation is projected to decrease. Climate change is expected to affect many economic sectors, and agriculture is one of the most exposed, as it is highly dependent on climatic conditions (precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, and air humidity) and on the availability of surface and groundwater resources for irrigation purposes. The negative impacts of climate change include reduced crop yields due to high temperatures, increased water demand for irrigation, and reduced water availability due to prolonged periods of droughts and water scarcity. Negative effects on agriculture will be exacerbated by damage to crops caused by extreme weather events.

For Cyprus, the climate change impacts refer to a continual, gradual, and relatively strong warming, combined by prolonged drought periods and the reduction of annual precipitation. Even though the agricultural sector in Cyprus is already facing a water shortage, climate change is expected to cause vital problems regarding groundwater quality and quantity in the future, such as increased water demand for irrigation, decreased water availability, and the deterioration of water quality. Furthermore, another major problem in the coastal agricultural areas of the island is the overexploitation of groundwater, which leads to the penetration of sea water into the aquifer, resulting in the salinization of soils, which leads to a reduction in crop production, and soil fertility degradation.

The specific Special Issue of ‘’Adaptation of Cyprus Agriculture to Climate Change’’ has the clear purpose of providing, in a scientific way, real cases of how Cyprus’ agricultural sector is being affected by climate change while at the same time providing solutions by adapting to the new climatic conditions.

Dr. George Papadavid
Dr. Marinos Markou
Guest Editors

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