TÜBİTAK MAM Environment and Cleaner Production Institute organized a workshop on Ecological Water Quality and Sensitive Area Determination in Surface Waters at the 14th Regional Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) in Istanbul on 05-06 February 2015 within the scope of "Project on Determination of Sensitive Areas and Water Quality Targets on Basin Basis in Turkey". The workshop was attended by officials from the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs General Directorate of Water Management, General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, faculty members carrying out biological monitoring studies and TÜBİTAK MAM METU expert staff.
The opening speeches of the meeting were delivered by Prof. Dr. Cumali KINACI, Director General of the General Directorate of Water Management and Dr. Selma AYAZ, Deputy Director of TÜBİTAK MAM ÇTÜE and Project Coordinator. In the meeting, summary information about the stages of the project was presented to the participants by Dr. Şebnem AYNUR KOYUNLUOĞLU. Monitoring studies in the rivers and lakes of 25 basins were presented by Prof. Dr. Nilgün KAZANCI, Prof. Dr. Murat ÖZBEK, Prof. Dr. Naime ARSLAN, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali SALUR, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan KALYONCU, Prof. Dr. Nilsun DEMİR, Prof. Dr. Meriç ALBAY, Dr. Cenk GÜREVİN, Assoc. Dr. Fatma ÇEVİK, Prof. Dr. Sabri KILINÇ, Prof. Dr. Kemal ÇELİK and Assoc. Dr. Feray SÖNMEZ.
Launched on September 20, 2012, the "Project for Identification of Sensitive Areas and Water Quality Targets on Basin Basis in Turkey" aims to fulfill the requirements under the By-Law on Urban Wastewater Treatment and By-Law on Protection of Waters against Nitrate Pollution from Agricultural Sources. The aim of the project is to identify sensitive areas in surface waters in 25 water basins in Turkey and to update the nitrate sensitive water areas identified in surface and ground waters and to determine water quality targets and measures to be taken to improve water quality. At the current stage of the project, surface water bodies in 25 water basins in Turkey have been identified, pressures and pollution loads due to urban, industrial and agricultural activities in water bodies have been determined and monitoring studies (physicochemical-biological) have been carried out in river-lake stations, and the criteria for determining Sensitive Areas in rivers and lakes have been developed and "Sensitive/Normal Water Areas" have been determined.
