LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK OF INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN TURKEY

Abstract

Water resources, which have defined the fate of generations throughout history, have now reached a point where they influence international relations, welfare level of societies, and even the independence of nations. Faced with increasing populations, scarce and unevenly distributed water resources and difficulties in accessing clean water, nations around the world have added water resource management to their agenda as a top priority issue. In this setting, the concept of "integrated water resources management" (IWRM) has arisen as a potential international solution. However, even today, there is still much uncertainty about the definition of the term and its implementation process. As a result, the success of integrated water resources management applications around the world is subject to ongoing debates in political and academic circles. At this juncture, this paper aims to take a critical look at the international definitions, and understand their applicability within the Turkish law system on the basis of accepted criteria of IWRM.