Türkiye’s per capita water availability falls below key threshold

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s annual renewable water availability per capita has been calculated at 1,301 cubic meters, remaining below the internationally recognized threshold of 1,700 cubic meters that defines water-rich countries.

According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), Türkiye’s population stood at 86.09 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. Based on the country’s total usable water potential of 112 billion cubic meters, annual water availability per person was estimated at 1,301 cubic meters.

Under international standards, countries with more than 1,700 cubic meters of renewable water resources per capita annually are considered water-rich.

Türkiye’s figure falls significantly below this benchmark, underscoring growing concerns over long-term water security.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, experts warned that Türkiye, which is not classified among water-abundant nations, could move closer to the category of countries experiencing water stress in the coming decades due to population growth and the mounting impacts of climate change.

They emphasized that improving the efficiency of water use and strengthening storage infrastructure will be critical to safeguarding future supplies.

In parallel, authorities plan to accelerate modernization projects aimed at reducing losses in irrigation systems, enhancing water-use efficiency and addressing drainage-related challenges in agricultural lands, the agency said.

Expanding the use of closed, pressurized pipe irrigation networks in place of traditional open-channel systems is among the key objectives.

Türkiye possesses roughly 24 million hectares of arable land out of a total 78 million hectares, according to the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) data compiled by TÜİK. Looking ahead, the nation aims to have 7.85 million hectares of this agricultural land under irrigation by year-end 2028.