Our blue planet has been giving a global alarm about water consumption in recent years. Although more than 70% of the earth is surrounded by water, the proportion of total fresh water in ice masses, underground and aboveground is only 2.5%. Due to economic developments, population growth, changes in consumer structure and demand, climate change, unconscious use, and mismanagement, our water consumption raises concerns about the future of water resources and introduces us to water scarcity. Water scarcity, which has begun to affect even credit rating decisions, is expected to be a bigger problem, especially for low-income countries. While water scarcity has become such an important issue today, Finish Water Index was created with the joint efforts of Finish and Industrial Development Bank of Turkey to draw attention to the future of water in our country and increase awareness in society. While the Finish Water Index level, which is updated weekly, is below 100, it is an indicator of "Water Stress", while this decrease below 70 means the presence of "Severe Water Stress". If the Finish Index reaches over 100, it is considered an indication that there is no "Water Stress". Turkey's water consumption by sector based on the value of the amount of water that can be used in Turkey "Water Stress" is available. In other words, we see that our country's underground and surface waters are alarming. While the dam occupancy rates in most of our metropolitan cities were below 50%, according to the satellite map published by NASA, groundwater density in Istanbul, where millions of people live, has also seen the lowest level in the last 15 years. We can list the things to be done to prevent and reduce water scarcity as follows:
-Public and private sector cooperation in water management
- Encouraging migration to lower populated areas to reduce high water risk in densely populated areas
-Adopting more efficient irrigation methods than agriculture and doing an effective agricultural planning
-Improvement of water infrastructure
-Protection of all kinds of wetlands from pollution
-Saving water consumption
As you can see, it is a vital issue to protect our water, the source of life, and pass it on to future generations. At this point, we have a great responsibility for public institutions, private organizations, and individuals in terms of what to do.
