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The Kouris catchment in Cyprus is currently experiencing a scarcity of water resources due to the semi-arid climate across the southern part of the region, a series of dry years, and recent surface/subsurface water over-extraction. The catchment consists of the upper part of an ophiolitic complex in the North, which is considered a very significant aquifer for Cyprus, and an overlying sedimentary complex in the South, which has low water storage capacity.

Water balance calculations are conducted using a steady state groundwater model. The recharge rate was calculated to be between 12 and 16% of the total annual rainfall. This agrees, with an estimate based on the mass balance of chloride. When the rate of extraction was increased to a value close to the present water demand, river baseflow was reduced from 25 to 18 Mm 3 per year. Other negative impacts were extreme drawdowns and drying up of springs. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.