Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turkish Journal of Water Science and Management, cilt.6, sa.1, ss.121-144, 2022 (Hakemli Dergi)
After the 1970’s, an unprecedented urbanization and industrial activities have resulted in severe inland and coastal water degradation in Turkey. Infrastructure investment in wastewater management has fallen behind schedule due to the lack of required extensive financing to implement large projects. On the other hand, land-use planning has been overlooked due to increased demand for housing and legal gaps that weaken the enforcement in that respect. Turkey is updating its regulations within the framework of the current EU directives after becoming a candidate country to the European Union (EU). Comprehensive reforms related to institutional and legal issues have gradually taken place with the objective of meeting the defined strategies for water pollution abatement. A new “Water Law '' has been drafted for ensuring a more efficient water management by updating the existing legal framework where needed and with emerging issues (e.g. climate change). In 2021, a “Consultative Assembly on Water'' was established to analyze the content and items of the new “Water Law '', in particular, and the conclusion statement was displayed. In this study, Turkey’s water quality management policies are presented by taking into consideration the present urgent actions and future needs, development at national, regional and municipal levels as well as the on-going EU accession process together with regional and international agreements. An assessment of inland and coastal water quality is done according to the regulations in force and set standards.