Management of Water Resources in Turkey
In accordance with the Article 168 of the 1982 Constitution, “natural wealth and resources” shall be placed under the control of, and put at the disposal of the state. The right to explore and exploit resources belongs to the state. Accordingly, there are many institutions and organizations directly aimed at water or indirectly related to water with the development and protection of water resources in Turkey. These institutions and organizations are composed of three stages as; institutional decision-making, administration and users.
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The Prime Ministry, SPO (State Planning Organization) and ministries take part in decision-making mechanisms;
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The State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), the General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration (EİEİ), the Bank of Provinces, the Provisional Special Administrations and similar institutes take part in management and development;
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Farmers, water user units and the other water consumers take part among the users.
The investor institutions and organizations on the water management are; the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), the General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration (EİEİ), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Bank of Provinces.
The primary monitoring and controlling institutions and organizations are; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the General Directorate of Meteorology, the Provincial Special Administrations, Municipalities, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Environmental Protection Agency for Special Areas, the Under-secretariat of SPO, DİE (State Institute of Statistics) and Universities.
The State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), affiliated to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, was created in 1954. DSİ is responsible for the planning, appropriation and development of ground and surface waters in accordance with the objectives; for gathering, monitoring, flood protection, planning and construction of the hydraulics to be made for the purpose of irrigation and hydroelectric production. DSİ created the organizational structure according to the river basins. (1)
Table: The Institutions Having Responsibilities Related to Water in Turkey
Institutions
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Responsibilities |
Ministry of Environment and Forestry |
The prevention of water resources pollution, environmental standards, permission and control, preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (ÇED), planning the control projects for river basins. |
Ministry of Health |
Controlling the quality of potable water, spring water, mineral and healing water, making potable water law.
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Banks of Provinces |
Planning and funding the water management, water and wastewater treatment plants in urban settlements.
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State Planning Organization (SPO) |
Overall planning of the water resources investments. |
Metropolitan Municipalities |
Monitoring the water and sewerage administrations industrial wastewater discharge, creating wastewater treatment plants, providing the operation and maintenance.
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Ministry of Culture and Tourism |
Preparing fisheries and aquaculture legislation and monitoring the quality of fields, controlling the agricultural pesticide, providing the monitoring.
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EİEİ |
Searching for the energy purpose water resources.
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Ministry of Culture and Tourism |
Controlling the wastewater treatment infrastructure in touristic regions.
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Provisional Special Administrations |
(Which is under the charge of General Directorate for Rural Services) providing potable water and sewage system for the rural areas having a population of less than 3000.
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General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration |
Searching and monitoring the water resources. |
Turkish Statistics Institute |
Providing the official statistics. |
General Directorate of State Meteorology |
To acquire and publish datum related to weather forecast, precipitation and climate. |
This structure started to change upon the establishment of the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, the changes in some legislation and legislative decrees, and upon the decision of the Council of Ministers, by the power of Law dated 6/4/2011 and numbered 6223.
The establishment, organizational structure, and duties of the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs were published in official journal dated 4 July 2011 numbered 27984. (2)
The duties of the new Ministry in the Article 2 are listed as follows;
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To establish policies on issues such as forestation and range improvement related to forest.
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To develop policies related to the protection of nature, to detect the protected areas, to protect, manage, develop, operate and to make operate the national parks, natural parks, natural monuments, natural reserve areas, wetlands, biological diversity, hunting and wildlife.
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To establish policies for protection and sustainable utilization of water resources, and to coordinate national water management.
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To monitor meteorological events, and to detect policies and strategies to take necessary precautions.
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To monitor international practices related to the issues within the area of activity of the Ministry, and to conduct all the preparations at national level in cooperation with the relevant organizations.
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To carry out other duties and services, given to the Ministry with law.
The Service Units within the Ministry is respectively listed as follows;
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Directorate General to Combat Desertification and Erosion.
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General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks.
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General Directorate of Water Management.
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Department of Guidance and Inspection.
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Department of Strategy Development
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Legal Consultancy Department
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Directorate of Foreign Relations and EU Affairs
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Personnel Agency Department
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Supporting Services Department
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Department of Data Processing
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Department of Education and Press
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Press and Public Relations Consultancy
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Private Secretariat
Organizations Affiliated to the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs;
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General Directorate of DSİ
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General Directorate of Meteorological Service
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General Directorate of Forestry
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Turkish Water Institute
References
(1) DSİ, Water and DSİ, Ankara, DSİ, 2009, p.9.
(2) http://www.ormansu.gov.tr/COB/AnaSayfa.aspx?sflang=tr