Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) Science Cafe hosted the event "Towards COP31: Water and Sustainability" to draw attention to the global water crisis. In the program, the future of water and its sustainable management were discussed in all dimensions.
We Held Our Event “Towards COP31: Water and Sustainability” at MAKU Science Cafe!
With the presentation of Sustainability Coordinator Dr. Lecturer Kübra ERTAN TÜRE, global water crisis and sustainability issues were discussed under the following topics.
Water Crisis and Social Dimension: 1.4 billion people in the world do not have direct access to water. Women and children bear 70% of the water carrying burden (2026 UN Theme: Water and Gender Equality).
Access to Clean Water and Risks: Due to the climate crisis and pollution, 2 billion people are deprived of clean drinking water. If no measures are taken, we face the risk of “Day Zero” where water will not flow from taps.
Water Consumption and Risks in Turkey: We are at risk in the Mediterranean climate zone. In Turkey, the average daily consumption per person is 200 liters, which can drop to 25 liters during a crisis.
Sustainable Water Use: Water of drinkable quality should not be used in agriculture. Rainwater harvesting and recycling systems are critical for our future.
Use of Freshwater Resources in Agriculture: Approximately 70% of the world's freshwater resources are used in agricultural irrigation. This rate constitutes the largest share of water consumption and can rise to 95% in developing countries. In Turkey, this rate is higher, with 77-79% of total water usage spent in the agricultural sector.
COP and Water Management: Issues like drought and ocean conservation are at the center of COP. Dr. ERTAN TÜRE stated, “Without proper management and planning, it is not possible to protect our existing water resources.”
Limitation of Water Resources: 97.5% of the world's water is saltwater. Most of the 2.5% freshwater is in glaciers. The amount of water we can directly access is extremely limited!
We thank
YÖK Vice President Prof. Dr. Naci GÜNDOĞAN,
YÖK Executive Board Member Prof. Dr. Erol ARCAKLIOĞLU
Our Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin DALGAR,
Our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Oğuz GÜRSOY and the esteemed people of Burdur for honoring us with their participation in our event.
