Turkey's hydrogeopolitical importance is increasing

‘Turkey's geostrategic importance is as great as its hydrogeopolitical importance. Turkey is not a water-rich country, but it has transboundary water resources. For this reason, Turkey needs experts, interdisciplinary thought production centres and strategic research institutions not only for domestic water policies and water management but also for transboundary waters. In fact, it is clearly seen that this need is increasing day by day.’

Especially in recent years, the more pronounced effects of climate change have made water management within the country more difficult, as well as the implementation of previous agreements in transboundary water basins and the management of these waters. Therefore, transboundary water management tensions between the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia may increase.

Turkey's hydrogeopolitical importance

About a quarter of Turkey's land borders are defined by transboundary rivers and 35 per cent of its water potential originates from transboundary water basins. In addition, Turkey has a transboundary or border-forming river relationship with all neighbouring countries. In addition, Turkey is the source country in most of the transboundary water basins. The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers that feed the Middle East also originate from Turkey. These conditions make Turkey a very important country in terms of Hydrogeopolitics.

The negative impact of climate change, the increasing relationship between water, energy, food and environmental security, geopolitical developments and efforts to redesign the region increase the danger of securitisation of transboundary water resources in the region in the near future. In short, Turkey, as an important power in the region, needs experts, interdisciplinary think tanks and strategic research institutions not only for domestic water policies and water management, but also for transboundary waters. In fact, judging by the developments in the region, it is clear that this need is increasing day by day.

Our hydropolitics education and institutional infrastructure

In order to meet this need in our country, it is seen that both the educational infrastructure in the field of expertise and the development of institutions and organisations that will produce ideas in this field and be effective in international public diplomacy are not sufficient. In our country, the first specialisation training infrastructure studies on topics such as Hydropolitics, Water Diplomacy, Transboundary Water Management started in the mid-1990s. It has shown a partial development until today, but it has lagged far behind the developments in various countries and centres in the world in the same field. While addressing this issue, it should be noted that the need of our country is not only training programmes in the field of expertise or academic career. There is also a need for research centres, think tanks, public institutions and institutes to employ experts in this field. Establishing, developing and supporting these centres is at least as important and prioritised as the infrastructure for specialised education in this field. However, the support given to these centres and institutions is still very insufficient. For this reason, Hacettepe University Hydropolitics and Strategic Research and Application Centre, which was established in 1994, has been closed down with 30-40 graduates at the graduate level. The few existing programmes have not been able to develop themselves and gain international recognition.

In other words, we have to address this issue not only in the form of opening training programmes, but also in the sense of a strategy and system integrity that feeds and develops each other. On the contrary, it has been observed that some efforts have not and will not yield the desired results.

Higher Education Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Academic Statistics reveal that only 37 Master's and 7 PhD thesis studies have been carried out in the last 20 years in 6 different departments related to Transboundary Water Policies. During this period, only 19 international papers and 25 international articles were published. The number of books published in this field is given as only 13. These data clearly reveal the deficiency in the field of speciality education. In addition to this, the lack of a sufficient number of university research centres, strategic research centres and non-governmental organisations to evaluate these studies, generate ideas and develop new approaches shows the other deficiency of the subject.

When did the discipline of hydropolitics emerge and why is it important?

The study of hydropolitics is relatively new, with roots dating back only to the early 1980s. In a multidisciplinary approach, the discipline draws its concepts from other well-established disciplines such as political science, geography, international law, international relations or sociology. Therefore, there is no single definition.

Hydropolitics examines how countries negotiate, share and sometimes compete over transboundary water resources. It explores the political, economic and social implications of water sharing, allocation and utilisation. Hydropolitics also focuses on co-operation and the creation of agreements for the sustainable management of transboundary water resources.

To summarise, Hydropolitics is an increasingly important multidisciplinary field that examines the interaction between water resources and international political power. Especially in some parts of the world, the social, economic, ecological and political problems that may be caused by the increasing water shortage are also increasing. Water problems can increase mass migration within and outside the country, exacerbate food insecurity and trigger social crises. There are 286 transboundary river and lake basins in the world. Approximately 60 per cent of the total water of all the world's rivers is located in these basins and about half of the world's population lives in these basins.

Especially as climate change, pollution, population growth and increasing water demand intensify the pressure on these transboundary resources, the possibility of conflict over water will always be present. Despite these challenges, there are also ways of co-operation

For these reasons, Hydropolitics is a discipline that is directly related to the future studies in the international system and continues to increase its importance especially for some regions of the world.

Turkey's Need for Experts and Strategic Thinking Centres Will Increase

Considering the rapid developments in the world and in our environment, it seems likely that the pressures Turkey may face in the near future regarding transboundary waters will increase.

Against this situation, first of all, education programmes should be increased and the institutional capacity of academia, public institutions and non-governmental organisations should be developed in relation to each other. A multidisciplinary thinking and research culture should be created in the education in these institutions and studies should be developed in this direction.

Otherwise, we may end up as a country that is constantly on the defensive under increasing pressures, whose national interests are eroded and whose rights are eventually violated at the table. The biggest foreign policy trump card in the hands of a country like Turkey is to establish relations with neighbouring countries by implementing a dynamic hydropolitics to give them guidance and direction in the field of water management. In particular, many international studies mention the negative impact of climate change on water resources in the Middle East. Turkey should prepare for a proactive hydropolitics and preventive water diplomacy in the Middle East. The capacity of a country like Turkey to produce strategic wisdom and projects for all relevant institutions in its country should be increased.

Efforts to improve our international public diplomacy capabilities in this field are also important.