MARMARA BASIN - ACTIVITY 6.2 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS WITH CENTRAL AND BASIN SCALE INSTITUTIONS FOR SCOPING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORTS WERE ORGANIZED IN ISTANBUL

The meeting of “Strategic EIA Scoping, Stakeholder Consultation and Sectoral Water Allocation Plan” prepared within the scope of the Marmara River Basin Management Plan to ensure the good condition of water resources was held on 24 September 2024 in Istanbul. Mr. Cengiz KARABULUT, Deputy Governor of Istanbul attended the meeting and Mr. Afire SEVER, Director General of Water Management participated via teleconference.

In her opening speech, Ms SEVER stated that both river basin management plans and sectoral water allocation plans had been prepared in Antalya, Batı Karadeniz, Doğu Akdeniz, Doğu Karadeniz, Kızılırmak and Marmara Basins within the scope of the 'Technical Assistance on Preparation of River Basin Management Plans for 6 Basins' project. Ms SEVER stated that the Marmara Basin is a basin that includes the provinces of Istanbul, Kocaeli and Yalova, where both population and industrial activities are intense. Therefore the basin contains environmental risks in terms of domestic and industrial wastewater. Ms SEVER stated that to develop a policy, and strategy and establish a management system, it is necessary to have comprehensive information on the situation and risks. The situation and risks should be determined first while making basin-scale plans. Therefore monitoring studies are carried out in the basins, the pressures on water resources are determined and the quality of groundwater and surface water resources are determined.

Ms SEVER stated that one of the main tasks of the General Directorate of Water Management, established in 2011, is to ensure integrated water management on a basin basis by harmonizing European Union legislation with Turkish legislation. She stated that River Basin Management Plans will soon be completed in 19 of Turkey's 25 basins, including the six basins covered by the Technical Assistance Project, and that Flood Management Plans and Drought Management Plans have also been completed in the basins. Ms SEVER stated that they have put forward 114 action plans for the ten years covering 2023-2033 and that all sectors and individuals should assume responsibility in this process.

Ms SEVER stated that it is aimed to establish drought and flood early warning systems in all basins by 2028 and that work on this issue continues in many basins. She concluded her remarks by thanking all participating institutions and organizations.

The meeting ended after the speeches and presentations.

The presentations can be accessed here.