Sustainable Water Resources Management in Agriculture: Challenges, Technological Innovations, and Future Perspective

Authors : Gülüzar Duygu Semiz, Müslüme Sevba Çolak, Elifnaz Torun, Sertan Avcı

Pages : 22-36

Doi:10.33724/zm.1787242

View : 96 | Download : 254

Publication Date : 2025-12-27

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :One of the most significant turning points in human history was the establishment of an agriculture-based society. Approximately 5000 years ago, thanks to agricultural irrigation, the greatest civilizations of their time emerged in Mesopotamia. Despite constructing hydraulic structures of remarkable sophistication and organization for their era, these civilizations eventually collapsed due to inadequacies in sustainable irrigation management. Nearly 5,000 years later, another agricultural revolution, known as the “Green Revolution,” took place. The consequences of this latter revolution are still strongly felt today, particularly through its adverse impacts on soil and water resources. Fortunately, in order to prevent history from repeating itself, the international community has focused on sustainability and held landmark conferences. During this process, a substantial body of scientific knowledge on sustainable irrigation has been developed. If the technological opportunities that have arisen from this knowledge can be effectively utilized as tools for sustainable irrigation management, a critical step will be taken toward achieving this challenging goal. In this context, the study focuses on agricultural water management as the most crucial component of sustainable water resources management; it examines, within a comprehensive framework, the historical evidence for the importance of sustainable water governance, the extent of salinity problems, the freshwater resources of Türkiye and the world, the major international conferences on sustainable water management, and the technological opportunities in sustainable agricultural water management.
Keywords : Sürdürülebilir su yönetimi, tarımsal su yönetimi, sürdürülebilir sulama, tarım teknolojisi, sürdürülebilir kalkınma

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