River management in Turkiye in the context of climate crisis: A study on Van Lake Basin

The climate crisis has become one of the most significant common problems affecting all living beings on a global scale. In this context, the sustainable management of natural water resources is gaining increasing importance, and especially river management plays a critical role in terms of ecological balance, socioeconomic sustainability, and public health. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted on the climate crisis, international meetings have been organized, and as a result of these meetings, various agreements and action plans have been implemented, influencing the national policies and strategies of countries. However, research on the effects of the climate crisis on rivers has remained relatively limited. In this study, the main approaches and relevant studies in the literature under the headings of the climate crisis and river management were first evaluated, and then a detailed analysis was carried out through the case of the Van Lake Basin in Türkiye. The main objective of the study is to examine the current situation of river management in Türkiye within the context of the climate crisis using the Van Lake Basin as a sample, and to propose an alternative management model within this framework. The research employed literature review, document and record analysis, examination of meeting minutes obtained from the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), and semi-structured interview methods. The interview questions were designed according to five thematic areas that came to the fore during the study process: (1) the impact of the climate crisis on river management, (2) current legislation, (3) level of institutional coordination and cooperation, (4) strengths and weaknesses in implementation, and (5) public knowledge and awareness level. The findings indicate that river management in Türkiye should be structured in accordance with the principles of integrated basin management. A participatory and multi-actor governance process should be adopted, taking into account the unique characteristics of each basin and climate crisis projections. The existence of many institutions with authority and responsibility in river management in Türkiye leads to complexity in management processes. Therefore, the duties of relevant institutions should be clearly defined through legal regulations; similar responsibilities should be consolidated, and a higher-level structure that will ensure inter-institutional coordination and continuous communication should be established. Additionally, the work on the Water Law should be revisited in a comprehensive manner and enacted; monitoring and control mechanisms should be improved.