The government officially opened 325 water-related facilities across the country on World Water Day on Tuesday, in a bid to better preserve and efficiently use the precious resource, which is becoming more scarce amid climate change. Under the motto of "Water is homeland," the facilities were inaugurated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 70 provinces.
Turkey invested a total of $310 million (TL 4.6 billion) in the projects which include 60 underground dams and groundwater supplying units. Other facilities to open included small dams, artificial lakes, wastewater treatment facilities and reinforcements against flood risks in flood-prone areas.
The country invested about TL 284 billion in water and irrigation facilities in the past two decades and built 654 dams. In the same period, it allocated 361,290 hectares (892,767 acres) of land for irrigation, contributing TL 5.4 billion to the economy and creating agricultural jobs for some 325,000 people.
A country under water stress, Turkey seeks to tap into groundwater in a more efficient way for irrigation, which uses up the most water in the country. Saving water is an important issue for the country which also seeks to fight losses in water grids stemming from poor maintenance and other factors. A water law is in the works for a comprehensive approach to the preservation of water resources in the face of climate change.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony held in the capital Ankara, Vice President Fuat Oktay said the successive governments of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) invested heavily in water facilities, whose number exceeded 9,180. "The number of dams made in the past two decades is double the number of dams built in the history of the Republic of Turkey," he said.
Oktay noted that irrigation facilities opened in recent years ended up providing a total of TL 60 billion annual income for farmers across the country. "Without investments, our 44 provinces would be under imminent risk of water shortage. Timely steps prevented this disaster," he said. Oktay noted that along with nationwide projects, Turkey also provided water for nearly 2 million people in Africa with 512 water wells drilled.
He highlighted that the facilities inaugurated on Tuesday would provide a water lifeline for both cities and farmers, and that they will "contribute nearly TL 300 million yearly" to the Turkish economy.
