Guidelines for Integrated Water

Resources Management (IWRM) at The

River Basin Level (IRBM)
CASE STUDY
BUYUK MENDERES RIVER
BASIN-TURKEY
Dr. Huseyin Gundogdu, Dr. Murat Hatipoglu, Taner Kimence
(Agr. Eng.)
(Civil eng.)
(Env. Eng.)
The General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI)
16-22 March 2009-ISTANBUL

BUYUK MENDERES RIVER

BASIN

PROTECTED AREAS

CLIMATE
The climate in the basin varies from the
Mediterranean climate in the coastal
regions and downstream to the continental
climate upstream. The annual average
precipitation in the basin is 635 mm. It is
999 mm in the downstream parts and
decrease to 350 mm in the upstream. The
amount of precipitation is high in spring
and winter times, but low in summer

LAND USE

Projects / Programs

Major IWRM Initiatives

(Institutional / Planning Integration)

Recognition of problems and

changes of several sectors
(including industry, urban water treatment facility,
irrigation system etc.)

Development

- Necessity of integrated approach

- Setting up framework for stakeholder participation
- Active dialogue and exchange of information among all stakeholders
- Awareness raising and stakeholder participation

Modern IWRM

2007

1990s
Water Pollution
Construction of
first dam,
Adiguzel Dam

1976-1989

1960s-1970s

Conventional
Water Management

- Environmental Study
- Technical and feasibility study
for maintain water level of the Bafa Lake
- Construction of rubber dam at Bafa Lake

Demand for Agriculture, Problems of Drought and Floods

- Requirement of Multipurpose Dam
- Lack of reliable and sufficient data
- Improvement of Hydrometric Network
- Feasibility Study utilizing reliable and sufficient data

DEVELOPMENT OF BASIN
I. Demand for Agriculture, Problems of
Drought and Floods
National Development
Policy

The Economy agricultural

dependant (1960s).
Priorities
Land and water resource.
increasing income level and
living standards of rural
population
Migration

DEVELOPMENT OF BASIN
I. Demand for Agriculture, Problems of Drought
and Floods

Precipitationirregular (seasonally
and year to year
Droughts
Floods
Needs
Dams
Sufficient data
Improvement
hydrometric network

I.KEY FOR SUCCESS

I.KEY FOR SUCCESS

I.KEY FOR SUCCESS

II. RECOGNITION OF NEW

PROBLEMS
Pollution
Industrial
Domestic
Agricultural

ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION

II. RECOGNITION OF NEW PROBLEMS

BAFA LAKE CASE

Disconnection river and lake

DO decreases
Salty water intrusion

II.KEY FOR SUCCESS

Bafa Lake

B. Menderes
riverriver

Rubber dam

Fish pass

III.APPROACH FOR INTEGRATED WATER

RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Every stakeholder tries to solve these

problems within their responsibility:

The industry, especially the leather

factories, scattered in the Uak
Province has been moved to the
organized industrial zone and the
construction of a common waste
water treatment facility for the
industrial zone has been completed.
In the Denizli Province, an urban
waste water treatment facility has
been put in operation and the textile
industry established a common
treatment facility.
Existing irrigation systems have been
replaced with modern irrigation
systems to ensure efficiency and
save water.
Non-governmental organizations
have also initiated some projects.

III.KEY FOR SUCCESS

1-Pilot implementation of the European Union Water

Framework Directive
2-Capacity Building Support to the Water Sector in
Turkey

Long-tetrm sustainable use

decrease pollution,
to prevent further deterioration of aquatic
ecosystem and areas depending on those
ecosystems;
to enhance the aquatic environment, amongst
other by decreasing discharges;
to raise awareness and stakeholder participation

Within the scope of this project, active dialogue and

exchange of information have been taking place with all
stakeholders such as the Byk Menderes
Environmental Protection Union, Municipalities, Irrigation
Unions, Chambers of Industry and Trade, and NGOs.

Through these works, it has been targeted to

communicate all the activities carried out in the basin to
all stakeholders, to coordinate the activities and to
create public awareness in the basin.

III.KEY FOR SUCCESS

Thank You