Honourable guests,
First of all, I would like to thank all those who have worked for today's conference. It is truly an extremely useful initiative.
Water is the most important natural resource as our very survival depends on it.
In recent years, climate change has brought to the fore the need to raise awareness and shift towards an environmentally sustainable consumption behaviour with regard to the use of this precious resource, especially in regions such as the South-East Mediterranean region where the effects of climate change are now more than evident.
In recent years, climate change has brought to the fore the need to raise awareness and shift towards an environmentally sustainable consumption behaviour with regard to the use of this precious resource, especially in areas such as the South-East Mediterranean region where the effects of climate change are now more than evident.
In the case of Cyprus, of course, the water problem, in all its manifestations, has always been a headache or a challenge - if you like - for Cypriot society.
Looking at the press release archives of the Press and Information Office, one can easily see that water and the proper management of this precious resource have always been among the main priorities of the state. To mention just a few headlines from the archives of the GPO in the early years of the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus:
- 'The water problem of the island',
- 'Conference on the water problem of Morphou at the Presidential Palace',
- 'The present conference on the water problem in Famagusta',
- 'Cypriot hydraulic engineer at a conference in Israel',
- 'The irrigation courses in Morphou'.
And of course, the timeless exhortations to the public to avoid wasting water.
Today, Cypriot society does not face the same challenges it did in 1960. The water problem, however, remains.
I would say that the need to inform and educate the public is more necessary today than ever before, because technological progress and the improvement of infrastructure, together with the improvement of our everyday life, have brought about a complacency.
It is for this reason that it is with great pleasure that the Press and Information Office is actively contributing to the holding of today's Conference, and also, over the years, the Press and Information Office has been cooperating with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and the Department of Water Development in the organisation of information campaigns on the proper use and management of water resources.
For my part, as Director of the Press and Information Office, I assure you that we will continue to perform our role and assist in the efforts being made to raise public awareness of the challenges that remain or are being created in relation to water resources.
Thank you.
(EF/NG/SX)
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