Overview of water management in Turkey: Issues, constraints, achievements, prospect

The major systematic aspect of water related activities in Turkey is central planning. At the national level, the objective of the Five-Year Development Plans' (FYDP) is to ensure the optimum distribution of all kinds of resources among various sectors of the economy The latest, 9th plan covers the period of 2007-2013 with the major goal related to environmental protection and public infrastructure development. This plan underlines the fact that rapid urbanization and industrialization process is a pressure on the sustainable use of water resources; that although progress has been made, uncertainty with regard to institutional plurality and fragmentation across sectors remains. This issue is a big challenge on the way to substantial reforms with regard to water resources management. Therefore better cooperation and coordination is needed between institutions. Water management is gradually improving towards a sustainable development policy by internalizing the concepts of water demand management in the municipal, industrial and agricultural sectors.