Water Resources of Turkey: Potential, Planning, Development and Management

Turkey is a country with considerable water resources in a region where scarcity of water makes it a strategic item. In the second half of the 20th century important efforts have been made in the planning and development of these resources. However, less than one-half of the potential has so far been developed. The rapid growth of population and the expansion of irrigated agriculture and industry are stressing the water resources both quantitatively and qualitatively. The completion of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) and several other projects requires a considerable part of Turkey's financial and technical resources to be devoted to water resources development.