Water Risks Project Launches

Water Risks Project Launches SKD Türkiye (Business and Sustainable Development Association), Ankara University Water Management Institute, launches the "Water Risks Project" under the main sponsorship of Ülker, aiming to raise awareness of water efficiency in agriculture and water footprint. In the pilot study to be conducted in the high-agriculture-potential Kırıkkale region (Delice district), water efficiency will be monitored in wheat as well as grain and silage maize, and a detailed report containing data analyses on drought risks and the effects of climate change will be prepared. SKD Türkiye and Ankara University Water Management Institute is launching the "Water Risks Project" in Central Anatolia, aiming to raise awareness of water efficiency in agriculture and water footprint. The project will be carried out under the main sponsorship of Ülker, and with supporting sponsorship from Sütaş, Brisa, PepsiCo, Toros Tarım, Türk Traktör and IC İçtaş İnşaat. The project will be conducted in the high-agriculture-potential Kırıkkale region (Delice district), where drip irrigation work and analysis on wheat has not been undertaken to date. In line with the National Water Plan published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the project will conduct a study on water efficiency per unit area. Within this scope, farmers will receive training to prevent excessive irrigation and application errors. By utilizing temperature models published by FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization), the effect of temperature increase on productivity will be monitored. In the project's pilot study, water efficiency will be monitored in wheat, grain maize and silage maize. Drip irrigation systems will be installed for wheat production on 40 decares, silage maize production on 33 decares, and grain maize production on 18 decares. Comparisons will be made with production using conventional irrigation on areas of equal size, and crop productivity and water footprint analyses will be prepared for wheat and maize. The work under the project will be conducted under the coordination of Assoc. Prof. Gökşen Çapar, Director of Ankara University Water Management Institute, by Prof. Süleyman Kodal, Prof. Y. Ersoy Yıldırım, Prof. Yeşim Ahi, Lecturer Çiğdem Coşkun Dilcan and Lecturer Tolga Pilevneli. A report containing data analyses on water efficiency, water quality, soil productivity, drought risks and the effects of climate change will be prepared based on the findings obtained from the project. The report, which will serve as an important resource for sustainable agriculture practices in Turkey, will be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry together with SKD Türkiye's solution recommendations.