Turkey's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakl, stressed Turkey's commitment to effective conservation of water resources and highlighted significant investments at the 86th Council of the World Water Council, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Saturday (17 February), in the presence of the President of the World Water Council, Loic Fauchon, and representatives of various countries.
"Humanity faces many global challenges, including political difficulties, humanitarian crises, climate change, water scarcity, food crises, increased energy demand, environmental pollution and pandemics," Jumakli said. ”
He highlighted Turkey's resilience in the face of natural disasters, citing the ** disaster that struck 11 cities with a population of 14 million in February last year. "We quickly repaired the damage and ensured that our people had access to clean water in a timely manner," he said. Such disasters remind us of the importance of coordination and cooperation to prevent and respond to emergencies. ”
Underlining Turkey's commitment to providing clean water to all, he said: "We are taking more determined measures than ever before. ”
Jumakli highlighted the growing impact of global warming and climate change on Turkey, especially due to its location in the Mediterranean basin and the water-scarce country with a per capita water availability of only 1,313 cubic meters. He stressed Turkey's vulnerability to these changes and the importance of taking proactive measures.
"Over the past 21 years, Turkey has implemented more than 10,000 projects and invested 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,004 trillion Turkish lira (about $80 billion) to address these challenges. This includes the establishment of drinking water facilities, flood control systems, and wastewater treatment facilities. The focus is also on the construction of underground dams to increase water resources. ”
Jumacli stressed the need for efficient water use and stressed that farmers bear half of the cost of maintaining individual pressurized irrigation systems. He warned that without such investment, Turkey could face water shortages by 2030. To address these challenges, Turkey is committed to fulfilling its global and regional responsibilities for equitable, rational and efficient water use and conservation. Over the past quarter century, Turkey has undergone legal reforms and infrastructure investments to better manage water resources.
He outlined four main objectives: to promote the use of alternative water resources, to adopt efficient technologies for agricultural, industrial and personal water use, to improve water use habits, and to engage stakeholders and water users through workshops, training, and awareness campaigns.
According to statistics, the agricultural sector accounts for 77% of Turkey's water consumption. To address this issue, water was placed at the centre of the country's agricultural production planning through the amendment of the Agricultural Law.
"Based on the belief that water unites the country and its people, rather than divides them, we will continue to work in the water sector beyond our national borders," Jumakli said. I would like to stress once again that we have a shared responsibility to protect water resources. In the face of water issues and crises, we need to act together. ”
He stressed that Türkiye provides training, financial and technical assistance in the field of water to many countries in different parts of the world, especially African countries, with the aim of achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals globally.
"We attach great importance to the fair, rational and efficient use of water with our neighbours," he said. ”
Jumakli pointed out that water knows no borders and that Turkey has five transboundary river basins, which account for about 40 percent of the country's water resources. "As both an upper-basin and lower-basin country, we attach great importance to continuing dialogue and cooperation with our neighbours on the basis of equitable, rational and efficient use of water resources," he said. The Transboundary Waters Cooperation Program is based on the scientific facts of each basin and the unique characteristics of that basin. It is a complex process that requires the development of special solutions between riparian countries, while also taking into account needs. ”
The President of the World Water Council, Louis Foqiong, also said that they love Turkey and Istanbul very much and said that they are happy to be here.
At the end of the presentation, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding.