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Political ecology of inter-basin water transfers in Turkish water governance

Islar, Mine LU and Boda, Chad LU (2014) In Ecology & Society 19(4). p.15-15
Abstract
We explore the emergence of two contemporary mega water projects in Turkey that are designed to meet the demands of the country's major urban centers. Moreover, we analyze how policy makers in the water sector frame problems and solutions. We argue that these projects represent a tendency to depoliticize water management and steer away from controversial issues of water allocation by emphasizing large-scale, centralized, technical, and supply-oriented solutions. In doing so, urgent concerns are ignored regarding unsustainable water use, impacts on rural livelihoods, and institutional shortcomings in the water sector. These aspirations build heavily on prevailing discourses of modernity, development, and economic growth, and how urban... (More)
We explore the emergence of two contemporary mega water projects in Turkey that are designed to meet the demands of the country's major urban centers. Moreover, we analyze how policy makers in the water sector frame problems and solutions. We argue that these projects represent a tendency to depoliticize water management and steer away from controversial issues of water allocation by emphasizing large-scale, centralized, technical, and supply-oriented solutions. In doing so, urgent concerns are ignored regarding unsustainable water use, impacts on rural livelihoods, and institutional shortcomings in the water sector. These aspirations build heavily on prevailing discourses of modernity, development, and economic growth, and how urban centers are perceived as drivers of this growth. In the light of these tendencies, social and environmental implications are downplayed, even though the projects will change or already have changed the dynamics within urban-rural life and agricultural water resources practices. We develop an understanding of how such projects are presented as the only solution to problems of water scarcity in Turkey. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
inter-basin water transfers, political ecology, Turkey, urban water, water governance
in
Ecology & Society
volume
19
issue
4
pages
15 - 15
publisher
The Resilience Alliance
external identifiers
  • wos:000347440700017
  • scopus:84923597086
ISSN
1708-3087
DOI
10.5751/ES-06885-190415
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6d22a790-b03c-4e68-b64b-820e0dbc4889 (old id 5075965)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:43:56
date last changed
2022-01-28 02:14:43
@article{6d22a790-b03c-4e68-b64b-820e0dbc4889,
  abstract     = {{We explore the emergence of two contemporary mega water projects in Turkey that are designed to meet the demands of the country's major urban centers. Moreover, we analyze how policy makers in the water sector frame problems and solutions. We argue that these projects represent a tendency to depoliticize water management and steer away from controversial issues of water allocation by emphasizing large-scale, centralized, technical, and supply-oriented solutions. In doing so, urgent concerns are ignored regarding unsustainable water use, impacts on rural livelihoods, and institutional shortcomings in the water sector. These aspirations build heavily on prevailing discourses of modernity, development, and economic growth, and how urban centers are perceived as drivers of this growth. In the light of these tendencies, social and environmental implications are downplayed, even though the projects will change or already have changed the dynamics within urban-rural life and agricultural water resources practices. We develop an understanding of how such projects are presented as the only solution to problems of water scarcity in Turkey.}},
  author       = {{Islar, Mine and Boda, Chad}},
  issn         = {{1708-3087}},
  keywords     = {{inter-basin water transfers; political ecology; Turkey; urban water; water governance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{15--15}},
  publisher    = {{The Resilience Alliance}},
  series       = {{Ecology & Society}},
  title        = {{Political ecology of inter-basin water transfers in Turkish water governance}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06885-190415}},
  doi          = {{10.5751/ES-06885-190415}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}