‘Sponge cities’ to be established for water efficiency

Meltem Güneş - ISTANBUL

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry is planning to use a new “sponge city” concept that absorbs rain waters within the scope of water efficiency measures on a national scale.

Within this scope, ecological infrastructure and drainage systems will be created in cities, and roadsides or sidewalks will be covered with surface coatings that allow water to pass through.

In the Ministry’s Water Efficiency Action Plan covering the years from 2023 to 2033, it is stated that 77 percent of the country’s annual water consumption is used in agriculture, while 23 percent is used in drinking-utility water and industrial production.

In order to adapt to the changing climate in Türkiye, it is aimed to reduce the country’s 33 percent water loss rate to 25 percent by 2033 and 10 percent by 2040, while individuals will be profiled on water usage.

According to the action plan, a fund will be established to be used for water efficiency practices. In addition, the “sponge city” model will be made widespread in cities. Household water use characterization and regional water use profile of individuals will be determined. A certification system will be established to encourage water efficiency in tourism facilities. Also, water literacy will be included in primary and secondary education curriculums.

Agricultural irrigation systems will be modernized, and crop patterns will be determined by taking into account the water availability in the region. Vertical farming activities, reuse of irrigation water and treated wastewater in agricultural irrigation will also be expanded.

According to the action plan’s statistics section, more than 10 percent of the total water used is wasted while waiting for the water to heat up. In this way, approximately 5.3 liters of water per person is wasted every day. A 5-minute pre-rinse process before putting the dishes to the dishwasher leads to the waste of approximately 45.4 liters of water. Based on the household data, the daily water waste per person is 93 liters.