Agricultural water footprint analysis in Seyhan, Ceyhan and Asian basins

Water is the most basic need and the most important natural resource for the continuity of life. Considering the needs of living things and all segments of society, effective and efficient use of water on a basin is important. Water footprint (SA) and virtual water transfer are the most important and comprehensive indicators of freshwater use related to the sustainable management of water in recent years. In other words, WF and virtual water transfer show the direct and indirect effects of people on water resources. WF refers to the total volume of water consumed by individuals or sectors in national production processes. Virtual water transfer is a parameter that shows that not all of the water consumed in production processes from national resources. Comprehensive studies on water footprint and virtual water transfer at basin scale in our country are very limited. Therefore, in the present study, the water footprint of the district-based agricultural production (65 agricultural products) of the Seyhan, Ceyhan and Asi basins has been analyzed in detail. In the study, a large-scale blue and green water footprint has been obtained based on climate, precipitation, plant characteristics, production amount and planted area data for the years 2008-2018. The total water footprint of Seyhan, Ceyhan and Asi Basins was determined as 3.53 billion m3, 6.58 billion m3, 2.51 billion m3, respectively. In addition, it has been observed that the products produced in the Seyhan and Ceyhan Basins have a higher dependence on green water, while the products produced in the Asi Basin have a higher dependence on blue water. Blue, green and total virtual water contents of agricultural products in existing basins were evaluated. It is expected that the current study will improve the quantity and quality of fresh water resources by providing the balance of water conservation and use, and guide watershed-based management with a rational and holistic approach to water.