Given the important place that Türkiye occupies in world geography, it can be said that the book, edited by Professors Harmancıoğlu and Altınbilek, answers many needs regarding the discussion of factors affecting Türkiye’s water resources, their availability, and distribution.
The purpose of this scientific work is to develop a comprehensive understanding of Türkiye’s water resources, as well as planning and managing its water resources. The paper also clearly expresses the problems associated with the inefficient use of resources, the impact of climate change, and environmental degradation. In total, the book consists of 17 chapters, it examines in detail the use and consumption of water, as well as management, legislation, sustainability and security, climate change, as well as ancient waterworks, and future prospects. The book contains a sufficient amount of information reflecting the extensive and rich experience of not only the editors but also the authors of the chapters. It can be noted that while studying the book you will see a detailed description of the water resources of Türkiye, this book is offered as one of the first volumes that complement the series of books World Water Resources edited by Professor Vijay P. Singh of Texas A&M University, U.S. I
It can be divided into three main parts, the first part being devoted to the physical characteristics that form the country’s water resources, such as geography, topography, geology, hydrology, meteorology, climate, etc. The second part deals with the use and consumption of water, including the three main uses of water in Türkiye, which are domestic (drinking and industrial), agriculture (irrigation), and hydropower (hydroelectricity). The third and final section of the book deals with different issues and problems, all of which are of great importance in terms of water management. In addition, there is a separate section that is dedicated to the transboundary river basins of Türkiye.
Despite the rich and detailed content in the work, the reader may find some commonalities between chapters in the book, since many aspects of water resources cannot be separated by clear lines, but are components of the same water continuum (for example, characteristics such as hydrology and water potential, groundwater and precipitation, climate and precipitation). A possible problem of the book, in my opinion, is that some of the data that is presented in the work differs from chapter to chapter despite the fact that it refers to the same factor. These inconsistencies between the various authors may arise from differences in parameters used in calculations. However, these variations are minor and do not affect the overall essence of the book.
Of particular importance is the last chapter of the book, chapter 17, which is basically an overview of the current issues related to water resources and management in Türkiye and discusses the challenges for the future in light of these issues. The author reveals how the country’s water communities are responding to these challenges and plans new goals for the future. The most challenging problem appears to be water scarcity as a result of rapid population growth, urbanization, industrialization, agriculture, increased tourism, increased economic activity, and resource depletion. The previous chapters of this book have dealt with the current state of water resources and their development in Türkiye, as well as attention to issues related to these problems and measures taken to solve them. This chapter serves mainly to update the list of major difficulties that still predominate and present challenges for future developments. However, it is worth noting that Türkiye is also an interesting example of a developing country that is trying to adapt to universal water management strategies but faces legal, institutional, economic, and capacity development challenges. The country has long been a water-rich country, but now the situation is about reversing water scarcity problems.
This publication is suitable for all members of the country’s water communities, including authorities, institutions, water users, academics, and other professionals. Water professionals, practitioners, managers, government agencies, and scientists at the international level can also benefit from the information provided, in terms of identifying common and different aspects of the world’s water resources. In particular, Türkiye’s unique geographical position linking Europe and Asia and the presence of significant transboundary river basins will be important factors in generating international interest in this compendium. It should be noted that, in Türkiye, no book has yet been published that would cover all aspects of water resources in the country, related problems, and water management issues as comprehensively.
This is of additional importance in the context of climate change in the region, problems of water resources management, and transboundary water basins. In addition, the book will become a scientific guide for young professionals in the field who need a start to gain general information about the state of Türkiye’s water resources. In my opinion, the work of Doğan Altınbilek and Nilgün B. Harmancıoğlu will make a great contribution not only to the scientific field of Türkiye but also an important role in the international arena.
