563 New Water Facilities Commissioned in Türkiye: Water Stress and Climate Change on the Agenda

On 2 April 2026, the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) held a mass inauguration ceremony for 563 newly completed facilities. The commissioned infrastructure includes 54 dams and ponds, 109 irrigation systems, 18 drinking water facilities, 11 land consolidation and on-farm development projects, and 371 flood control installations. With a current investment value of TRY 137 billion, these facilities have created a water storage capacity of 896 million cubic meters and are expected to open 1,190,000 decares of land to irrigation. Additionally, the new infrastructure will provide 212 million cubic meters of drinking water annually and achieve a daily treatment capacity of 301,000 cubic meters.

Türkiye Among Water-Stressed Countries

According to data shared at the ceremony, Türkiye falls within the water-stressed category with an annual per capita available water volume of just 1,301 cubic meters. While the global average annual precipitation stands at 990 millimeters, Türkiye receives only 574 millimeters per year. This disparity underscores the urgent need for efficient utilization and sound management of water resources.

The Global Water Crisis in Numbers

The ceremony also highlighted striking figures at the global scale. Only 2.5 percent of the world's total 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water consists of freshwater. Although the global population has surged from 3 billion in 1960 to over 8 billion today, there has been no corresponding increase in precipitation levels. Currently, 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. According to the UN World Water Development Report, an estimated 6 billion people are projected to face insufficient clean water access by 2050. Situated in the Mediterranean basin, Türkiye is considered among the countries most severely exposed to the pressures of the climate crisis on water resources.

Climate Change Impacts: Wildfires and Flooding

In recent years, climate change has driven an increase in the frequency of natural disasters in Türkiye, including wildfires and flood events. In 2025 alone, 2,334 wildfires were responded to, affecting 81,000 hectares of forested area. For 2026, the addition of 14 new helicopters has brought the total fleet to 119 units, with an aerial water-dropping capacity of 462 tonnes.

Zero Waste Movement and Recovery Targets

Another key topic on the sustainability agenda was the Zero Waste Movement, now in its ninth year. Under this initiative, 90 million tonnes of waste have been recovered to date, contributing TRY 365 billion to the national economy. The recovery rate is targeted to reach 60 percent by 2035 and 70 percent by 2053.

Water Infrastructure Overview: 2002 to Present

Cumulative data on water infrastructure investments since 2002 were also presented: 805 dams, 522 ponds and weirs, 1,890 irrigation facilities, 365 land consolidation projects, 378 drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, 6,234 flood control structures, 637 hydroelectric power plants, and 148 groundwater recharge and artificial replenishment facilities have been commissioned. The total current value of these assets was reported at TRY 4.7 trillion. A total of 2.5 million hectares have been opened to irrigation, and land consolidation has been carried out across 7.4 million hectares. Installed capacity has reached 20,300 megawatts, with an annual energy generation capacity of 67 billion kilowatt-hours.

Source:

Anadolu Agency. (2 April 2026). "Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan: Barajlarımız doluyor, su kaynaklarımız yenileniyor."

Link: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/politika/cumhurbaskani-erdogan-barajlarimiz-doluyor-su-kaynaklarimiz-yenileniyor/3889233