Calculation of Çoruh Basin water footprint

The concept of water footprint, which is based on the sustainable management of water, can be said to be the foremost indicator of water use. Water footprint parameters, which are determined and calculated on a basin basis, play a guiding role in the efficient use and effective management of water. In our country, water footprint studies on a basin basis are quite limited. In the present study, the agricultural, livestock, domestic, and industrial water footprint parameters of the Çoruh Basin were analyzed in detail. At the basin scale, agricultural products grown at the district level were calculated by considering the meteorological data of the districts, as well as the quantities and areas of planting and sowing. For the livestock water footprint, the number of animals was determined at the district level and analyzed in conjunction with literature data. Domestic and industrial water footprint calculations were based on population data for each district and the amount of water used per person obtained from sources. The current study covers the period from 2015 to 2024. As a result of the calculations, the total water footprint of the Çoruh Basin was determined to be approximately 1.4 billion m3. When evaluating the water footprint results of the 17 districts within the scope of the study, it was determined that the district with the highest water footprint was Bayburt Central District, while the district with the lowest water footprint was Artvin Murgul District. When evaluating the agricultural water footprint results calculated within the study area, it was determined that wheat had the highest water footprint, while fresh broad beans had the highest blue water footprint. In light of these data, these two products are important in terms of clean water resource use in the basin. When evaluating the water footprint of animal production, Erzurum Şenkaya district ranks first, and the proportional size of the number of large livestock raised in the basin plays an important role in determining its share of the total water footprint.