Speaking at an iftar organised by the Entrepreneur Businessmen's Foundation, Minister of Food and Agriculture İbrahim Yumaklı emphasised that Türkiye faces a serious risk in terms of water security (Dünya Gazetesi (opens in a new tab)).
Yumaklı said: “With approximately 1,313 cubic metres of usable water per person, Türkiye is already experiencing water stress. If this amount falls below the threshold of one thousand cubic metres in 2030, we are very likely to join the ranks of ‘water-poor’ countries” (Dünya Gazetesi (opens in a new tab)). He also pointed out that by 2050 the world population will exceed 10 billion and Türkiye's population 105 million, and stated that water consumption will rise further due to the increase in food demand (Dünya Gazetesi (opens in a new tab)).
Underlining that agriculture is a strategic sector, Yumaklı stated that, according to FAO data, water demand will increase by 55 per cent and food demand by 65–70 per cent by 2050. He said that Türkiye has significant potential in terms of irrigable agricultural land, but that using water sustainably is essential (Dünya Gazetesi (opens in a new tab)).
Şemsi Bayraktar, President of the Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture, also stated that, as the precipitation regime has been disrupted by climate change, water scarcity may be experienced from 2030 onwards due to rising temperatures and drought. He noted that the current annual amount of water per capita is approximately 1,308 cubic metres, but that unless measures are taken, this amount is likely to fall below the critical threshold of one thousand cubic metres (NTV (opens in a new tab)).
Bayraktar also emphasised that approximately 77% of water use in Türkiye is allocated to agriculture and that the inefficiency of irrigation systems is a major problem. He said that the transition to modern irrigation methods must be accelerated and that water saving and infrastructure investments must be made urgently (Medya Gazete (opens in a new tab)).
To summarise the experts' shared warning
- Türkiye is already a country “under water stress”.
- The annual amount of usable water per capita is around 1,300 cubic metres, but it could fall below the water poverty threshold of one thousand cubic metres in 2030.
- Climate change, population growth and rising demand linked to agricultural water use are making this picture even worse.
- Water resources are of critical importance not only for agriculture but also for food security and economic sustainability.
- To find a solution, steps such as the transition to modern irrigation systems, alternative technologies that increase efficiency and public-private sector cooperation must be taken without delay.
