Integrated water resources management in Turkey: Konya-Çumra-Karapinar sub-basin as a case-study

In the 21st century, the importance of water resources continues to increase. With the deterioration of the quality of water resources and the decrease in water quantity due to global warming, which expands its severity on a global scale as well as within the geography where Turkey is located, problems have begun to be experienced in vital sectors such as water, energy, food. In this context, Integrated Water Resources Management approach has emerged to tackle with these water resources-related problems. Konya Closed Basin and Konya-Çumra-Karapınar Sub-Basin are among the basins where grain and sugar beet production are most intense in Turkey. Konya-Çumra-Karapınar Sub-Basin is a closed basin where the surface water resources are limited, thus, groundwater resources are used intensively to meet the water needs, especially in agriculture, industry and animal husbandry. In this Master's thesis, Konya-Çumra-Karapınar Sub-Basin is presented with its physical, social and economic characteristics. Moreover, the implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Management approach in this sub-basin, is thoroughly analyzed in the thesis. The methodologies adopted in the thesis include qualitative methods such as interviews conducted with experts and the raw data obtained from the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works and the General Directorate of Meteorology, and the processing of these data. The official reports prepared for the sub-basin and the statistical data can also be counted in the primary sources. The secondary sources such as journal articles, books and the Internet material are obtained through literature review. This master's thesis seeks an answer to the following main research question: If or how the Integrated Water Resources Management approach is actually implemented in Turkey, and particularly in the Konya-Çumra-Karapınar Sub-Basin. Keywords: Konya-Çumra-Karapınar Sub-Basin, Integrated Water Resources Management, Basin Management, Basin Planning, Groundwater Use and Protection