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Irrigation in the Mediterranean

Part of the book series: Global Issues in Water Policy ((GLOB,volume 22))

Abstract

This chapter reviews irrigation development and policy with specific references to the main water- and land-based regional socioeconomic development projects in Turkey. It analyzes the expansion of irrigation investment as well as institutional and technological changes in irrigation policy and development in parallel with policies of liberalization and decentralization in the late 1980s. The chapter also discusses institutional changes in the management of the irrigation systems as a result of (partial) transfer of management of large-scale irrigation systems to a variety of water user organizations. Finally, it describes current technological and institutional problems and the further challenges to the irrigation sector, such as infrastructure deterioration, risks of drought, environmental and ecological system degradation, and insufficient investment. It also notes the efforts to equip new irrigation schemes with modern technology, such as closed pipes for conveying water instead of open channels, and water-saving micro-irrigation methods rather than surface irrigation techniques.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Nine billion TRY in 1998 was worth 18.5 billion USD (28 billion in 2016 values), and 161 billion TRY in 2016 was worth 53 billion USD.

  2. 2.

    A cooperative is different from WUAs as it is “owned and operated by its members who share its profits or benefits” (Svendsen and Nott 1999a:17). All members of a cooperative participate in the general assembly meetings, and there is direct democracy rather than the representative structures of the WUAs.

  3. 3.

    Law No. 6172, 08.03.2011.

  4. 4.

    Donum is the measurement unit used among farmers and corresponds to approximately 919.3 m2.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Structures and Irrigation, Cukurova University, Sarıçam/Adana, Turkey

    Sevilay Topcu

  2. Department of Political Science and International Relations, MEF University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Aysegul Kibaroglu

  3. Department of Political Science and International Relations, Bogazici University, Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey

    Zeynep Kadirbeyoglu

Authors
  1. Sevilay Topcu
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  2. Aysegul Kibaroglu
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  3. Zeynep Kadirbeyoglu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sevilay Topcu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UMR-Geau, Institute of Research for Development (IRD), Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France

    François Molle

  2. Valencian Centre for Irrigation Studies (CVER), Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain

    Carles Sanchis-Ibor

  3. Valencian Centre for Irrigation Studies Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Llorenç Avellà-Reus

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Topcu, S., Kibaroglu, A., Kadirbeyoglu, Z. (2019). Turkey. In: Molle, F., Sanchis-Ibor, C., Avellà-Reus, L. (eds) Irrigation in the Mediterranean. Global Issues in Water Policy, vol 22. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03698-0_7

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