Understanding Water Scarcity in Türkiye

Water is the essence of life. The human body is composed of approximately 60% water (USGS, 2019), underscoring its fundamental role in our survival and biological functions. While the adage that a person can survive for weeks without food but only days without water holds true, modern science refines this: the exact duration without water is influenced by environmental conditions, but the critical point of severe dehydration is typically reached within 2 to 3 days (Popkin, D'Anci, & Rosenberg, 2010). The value of this indispensable resource must be universally understood and respected.

Beyond personal health, water is the lifeblood of our agricultural systems. Global food security is inextricably linked to water availability. Rain-fed agriculture has its limits, but strategic irrigation can dramatically increase crop yields and stabilize production against climatic variability. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), irrigated agriculture represents only 20% of the total cultivated land but contributes to 40% of the total global food production (FAO, 2021). This highlights the critical role of water in feeding a growing global population.

Türkiye is often perceived as relatively water-rich compared to its neighbors; however, this wealth is not limitless, nor is it evenly distributed. Currently, Türkiye is classified as a "water-stressed" country. With a population of approximately 85 million, the annual renewable water potential per capita has dropped to around 1,346 m³ (TurkStat, 2020; DSI, 2021). This places Türkiye well below the previous estimate of 4,500 m³ per capita and dangerously close to the absolute water scarcity threshold of 1,000 m³ per capita per year. This dramatic decrease is due to population growth and the impacts of climate change, which have reduced water availability (DSI, 2021). This new reality means Türkiye must urgently transition from a mindset of abundance to one of efficient management.

Globally, water scarcity is already a source of tension and innovation. Many nations in the Middle East and North Africa, for instance, rely heavily on expensive and energy-intensive desalination to meet their domestic and industrial water needs (Jones, Qadir, van Vliet, Smakhtin, & Kang, 2019). Water scarcity can also exacerbate transboundary water conflicts, making cooperative management of rivers like the Euphrates and Tigris a matter of strategic importance for regional stability.

Enhancing Water Use Efficiency through Technological and Institutional Innovation

Improving water use efficiency represents one of the most strategic and cost-effective pathways for addressing growing water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions such as Pakistan. Rapid population growth, urbanization, and climate-induced hydrological variability are intensifying pressure on already limited freshwater resources. In this context, technological modernization combined with institutional reform can generate substantial water savings across agriculture, industry, and urban systems without constraining economic productivity.

In agriculture, the largest water-consuming sector, modern irrigation technologies offer considerable efficiency gains. Transitioning from conventional flood irrigation to drip and sprinkler systems can reduce water application losses by 15-35 percent while maintaining, or even improving, crop yields. Precision agriculture tools, including soil moisture sensors, satellite-based monitoring, and climate-informed irrigation scheduling, further optimize water allocation. These measures not only conserve water but also reduce energy use, fertilizer runoff, and soil salinity risks, thereby strengthening long-term sustainability.

Industrial water management presents even greater conservation potential. Through wastewater recycling, process re-engineering, and closed-loop cooling systems, industries can reduce freshwater withdrawals by 40-90 percent. Cleaner production technologies and water auditing frameworks enable firms to identify inefficiencies and internalize resource conservation within operational strategy. Such measures enhance both environmental compliance and cost competitiveness.

Urban systems also offer meaningful savings. Aging distribution networks in many municipalities lose significant volumes through leakage and illegal connections. Infrastructure rehabilitation, smart metering, and demand-side interventions such as low-flow fixtures and public awareness campaigns can reduce urban water consumption by 25-30 percent.

Collectively, these cross-sectoral efficiency gains illustrate that water scarcity is not solely a supply problem but also a management challenge. Strategic investment in technology, governance, and behavioral change can substantially narrow the gap between water demand and sustainable availability.

Regional Water Imbalances and Strategic Imperatives in the Konya Plain

Although national water indicators suggest mounting stress, regional disparities across Türkiye reveal far more acute vulnerabilities. The Konya Plain, regarded as the country’s agricultural heartland, has emerged as one of the most critical hotspots of groundwater depletion. Unlike coastal regions that benefit from relatively higher precipitation, the Konya basin relies heavily on aquifers to sustain irrigated agriculture. Decades of over-extraction, combined with recurrent droughts linked to climate variability, have resulted in falling water tables, land subsidence, and the proliferation of sinkholes. This trajectory poses systemic risks not only to farm income but also to national food security.

Within this context, the Konya Plain Project (KOP) assumes strategic significance. Conceived as an integrated regional development master plan, KOP encompasses 11 major irrigation schemes designed to serve approximately 1.8 million hectares, an irrigable area exceeding that of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), which covers roughly 1.2 million hectares. A central component involves inter-basin water transfers, including conveyance from the Göksu River, to stabilize agricultural production in the semi-arid interior. However, financial constraints, environmental externalities, and implementation delays have slowed progress, while escalating infrastructure costs intensify fiscal pressures.

Yet macro-level infrastructure alone cannot resolve structural water stress. Efficiency gains at the farm level are equally decisive. The guiding paradigm must shift from output maximization toward water productivity, “more crop per drop.” From a microeconomic standpoint, irrigation decisions should be governed by marginal analysis. If the marginal revenue generated by an additional irrigation does not exceed its marginal cost, including pumping energy, labor, and capital depreciation, the practice is economically irrational and environmentally unsustainable. For instance, if groundwater pumping for an additional wheat irrigation costs 500 TL per hectare but yields only 400 TL in added output, the producer incurs a net loss while accelerating aquifer depletion. Sustainable regional resilience therefore requires synchronizing large-scale public investment with farm-level behavioral and technological adaptation.

Conclusion

Water is not merely a natural resource; it is a strategic asset that underpins public health, food security, economic productivity, and regional stability. As evidence shows, Türkiye has transitioned from perceived water abundance to structural water stress, with per capita availability steadily approaching scarcity thresholds. Population growth, climate change, and uneven regional distribution have intensified pressure on already constrained supplies, particularly in vulnerable zones such as the Konya Plain. Groundwater depletion, inefficient irrigation practices, and delayed infrastructure investments now pose systemic risks to agricultural sustainability and national food security.

Large-scale initiatives such as the Konya Plain Project and the Southeastern Anatolia Project remain critical for long-term water stabilization. However, infrastructure alone cannot resolve the crisis. Sustainable water governance requires a paradigm shift toward efficiency, accountability, and economic rationality at every level from national planning institutions to individual farms. The principle of maximizing water productivity rather than output at any cost must guide policy and practice.

Ultimately, Türkiye’s water future depends on integrating technological innovation, institutional reform, and behavioral change. Conscious management, grounded in data and economic logic, is essential to secure resilient agricultural systems, protect aquifers, and ensure intergenerational water security.

References: Aydın; Berkoff; Çakmak; FAO; DSI; Jones et al; OECD; Popkin et al; TurkStat; UNIDO; USGS.

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writer is affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Economics, Selcuk University, Konya-Türkiye and can be reached at mdirek@selcuk.edu.tr

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