Turkey's Water Resources: Rivers and Management

Rivers in Turkey: Water Resources

Overview of Water Resources in Turkey

• Turkey has a total of 1,200 rivers, with a total length of approximately 170,000 km
• The country's water resources are diverse, with rivers, lakes, and wetlands covering about 2% of its land area
• Turkey's water resources are crucial for agriculture, industry, and energy production

Major Rivers in Turkey

• Euphrates River: longest river in Turkey (2,740 km), forms the border with Syria and Iraq
• Tigris River: second-longest river in Turkey (1,850 km), flows through southeastern Turkey
• Kızılırmak River: longest river entirely within Turkey (1,150 km), flows through central Anatolia
• Sakarya River: third-longest river in Turkey (820 km), flows through northwestern Turkey

River Basins in Turkey

• Euphrates-Tigris Basin: covers about 20% of Turkey's land area, includes the Euphrates and Tigris rivers
• Sakarya Basin: covers about 10% of Turkey's land area, includes the Sakarya River
• Marmara Basin: covers about 5% of Turkey's land area, includes rivers flowing into the Marmara Sea

Water Quality and Management

• Turkey's water resources are facing challenges due to pollution, over-extraction, and climate change
• The government has implemented measures to improve water quality and management, including the creation of river basin authorities and water management plans
• Efforts are being made to increase water efficiency and reduce waste in agriculture and industry