Türkiye—Establishment of Ecoregions-Based Ecological Assessment System for Water Quality

Türkiye’s water sector faces mounting pressures due to population growth, climate change, and increased pollution from agricultural, domestic, and industrial sources. With 25 hydrological basins and limited economically usable water resources, the country is on track to become water-stressed beyond 2030 if current trends continue.

The EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) sets ambitious goals for achieving good ecological and chemical status in all water bodies across Europe. As part of its EU accession process, Türkiye is taking concrete steps to align with these standards, including strengthening monitoring and assessment systems and adopting legislation in line with the WFD and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive.

The project is facilitating the development of a national ecological assessment system for water quality in Türkiye, based on ecoregions. It builds capacity to assess water quality using biological, hydromorphological, and chemical indicators, and develops indices specific to Türkiye’s river basins. This work will feed into Türkiye’s River Basin Management Plans and contribute to more effective and climate-resilient water governance.

Our team supports the Directorate General for Water Management in setting up a comprehensive monitoring system aligned with EU standards, building national indices, and improving institutional capacity for sustainable water management.

Sample Activities

• Develop a GIS-based database integrating biological, hydromorphological, and physicochemical data for Türkiye’s water basins.
• Design and implement national biological indices and type-specific reference conditions for different ecoregions.
• Deliver capacity-building training and workshops on data analysis, ecological modelling, and monitoring methods for government staff.
• Conduct a climate change impact assessment to identify risks and integrate findings into the ecological classification system.
• Create software tools and 14 guidance documents to support long-term ecological assessment and reporting in line with the WFD.
• Facilitate coordination between national stakeholders and ensure real-time information sharing through a dynamic file-sharing system.