Water Use in Turkey

Water use per sector

Turkey’s annual water consumption is 54 BCM, equivalent to 48.2% of the country’s overall water potential.[1] In 2016, 40 BCM (74%) of this was used for irrigation, 7 BCM (13%) for drinking water and 7 BCM (13%) for industrial purposes (Table 1).[2] By 2023, the amount of water used for irrigation is expected to fall to 64%, while the share used for industrial purposes will rise to 20%.[3] In 2023, overall water consumption is expected to reach 112 BCM (Table 1).

Table 1: Breakdown of water consumption in 2016 and forecast for 2023.[5]

According to TÜİK forecasts, Turkey’s population will reach approximately 90 million in 2030, and accessible water will decrease from 1,404 cubic metres (m³) per capita per year to 1,244 m³ per capita per year. According to the Falkenmark Index, which classifies countries in terms of their per capita water potential, Turkey is ‘water stressed’ since it has 1,000-1,500 m³ of water potential per capita per year. According to the same scale, if Turkey’s per capita per year water potential were to fall below 1,000 m³, the country would be considered ‘water scarce’ and measures to ensure more efficient use of water resources would be needed.[4]