The GAP was
planned based on irrigation and hydraulic energy production on the Euphrates
and Tigris rivers.Geographically , Southeastern
Anatolia located upper mezopotamia where known as Fertile Crescent. The
region generaly consist from plains,flat lands and plateues such as, Şanlıurfa,
Gaziantep, Adıyaman plateues. This region has most productive land in the
middle eastern area however the region was suffered from lack of water. Indeed, water resources of Tigris and
Euphrates were enough for region, but
before GAP Project region could not receive water equaly. Before Project
agricultural activities were practiced by traditional techniques, thus local
people could not benefit from vast wide of these lands. There was huge
development differences between Southeastern Anatolian regions and rest of
country in terms of production, income, human resources, social structral ,
unemployment and poverty[ii]. In order to overcome such as problems, The
project area covers 9 administrative provinces(Map,1) (Adiyaman, Batman,
Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Kilis, Mardin, Siirt, Sanliurfa and Sirnak) and these
cities have approximately 10% of the country’s total population[iii]. GAP involves the construction of 22 dams and
19 hydropower plants on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The Project has tried
to obtain energy from dams and hydropower and
make it a benefit for local people in the development side. Shortly, GAP
planned to;
•
Minimize the interregional development disparities,
•
Improve irrigation and agriculture fertility by construction dams.
•
Increase energy for development of region by construction hydropower
plants.
• Also create jobs, rising incomes, prevent the
emigration, increase export and so on.
Since GAP Project is
long-term and multi-sector development which cannot always be easily afforded.
Sometimes there have been some secession periods that break project’s
effectiveness. Because, regional
planning is a complex process that involves policy making, collecting
information, gathering
problems together and re-solving them[iv]. The GAP Project also has affected by
political issues and economical crisis and lack of decion-makers(experts) as
well.
Problems with GAP
projects:
• It is very long term Project, thus it have
not met needs of region.
• Due to construction of dams on the Euphrates
and Tigris, tension among Turkey, Iraq and Syria have emerged.
• It has stil couldn’t been a solution geographical
disparities between west and east of country.
• The Project has affected by terrorism
attacks.
• Because of over-irrigation in agriculture ,
farmers have faced with salinisation which reduce fertility in the farmlands[v].
• One of aims of GAP is creating jobs and developing the
economical activities, but still remarkable amount of people migrate to major
city to work.
• Some historical places have challenged to
survive due to dams construction; Exp: Hasan Keyf in Mardin.
• In addition construction of enormous dams
have caused some ecological distruptions
and erosions.
Possible Solutions
for GAP Project;
• Euphrates and Tigris rivers are international
rivers, so Turkey can not take control of these rivers. Because Iraq and Syria
also have right to use these rivers efficiently.
• In terms of enviromental perspective, the Project
designers or managers should not waste water in the agriculture. As
recommended, agriculture should use modern techniques in irrigation system
which do not waste water. (Exp. drop irrigation system).
• The Project should not only focus on farming,
agriculture or construction of dams, instead of those, creation of new
jobs(especially in secondary and tertiary sectors), improve educationol level,
increase liveability conditions of urban areas.
by Rauf Belge
e-mail: raufbelge@gmail.com
[ii]
• Keyden Ç, Üstündağ N, Doğu ve
Güneydoğu Anadolu'nun Kalkınmasında Sosyal Politikalar, TESEV, February 2006,
İstanbul.
[iii]
• H. Olcay Unver (1997):
Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), International Journal of Water Resources
Development, 13:4, 453-484
[iv]
• Kamil Kaygusuz (1999): Energy
and Water Potential of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), Energy Sources,
21:10, 913-922
[v]
• Osman T., Mustafa Ü., Use of
Irrigation Water and Salinity Problems in The Southeastern Anatolia Project
(SEAP) Area, KSU J. Science and Engineering 5(1) 2002.
·
Map 1,map datas from ArcMap 10 .
