Availability of Bozcaada's water resources to be increased through EU project

The introductory meeting for the project, which aims to improve the water cycle and optimize the provision of water-dependent ecosystem services, as well as empower stakeholders and local communities in the Mediterranean region through the 'Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) Program,' was held at the Bozcaada Public Education Center.

Participants in the project, which includes Bozcaada as its Turkish component and aims to propose nature-based solutions for water, disseminate them through pilot applications, and cooperate with local governments, described their planned work.

One of the participants, Prof. Dr. Yusuf Kurucu, a faculty member at Ege University's Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, and the project coordinator, told reporters that the effects of changing climate conditions, particularly drought and water scarcity, will have a significant impact on both agriculture and soil vitality due to rising temperatures.

'DRILLING WELLS IS A GOOD THING'

Stating that the EU has issued calls to partially mitigate this, Kurucu said, "We joined one of these calls as Ege University, Izmir Institute of Technology, and Demir Enerji. This is a multinational study.

Modeling groundwater in Bozcaada, ensuring that rainwater falling on the island feeds the island, drilling wells for this purpose, and raising the groundwater level are good things. Of course, the use of this water is also very important. Optimizing the use of this water is one of our main goals."

'WE WILL NOT DRY OUT THE SOIL'

Kurucu stated that they will keep the soil moist and will not let it dry out.

Emphasizing that soil loses its vitality as it dries, Kurucu said, "For this reason, we want to implement our model applications in Bozcaada. Our goal is to teach this. Later, the local government will disseminate the learned topics across the island."

'WE MUST OPTIMIZE WATER USE'

Explaining that this system could also be used in other regions of Turkey, Kurucu continued:

"Such methods have started to be used in Europe. However, a holistic approach to drought is important. In other words, it is not enough to just raise the groundwater level; we must also optimize the use of water. Unfortunately, there is currently no integrated use of this. If the method here is disseminated, while there is no such thing as a zero-solution, the system will have adapted to Bozcaada to a significant extent."

Naci Erdoğan, the project's coordinator in Bozcaada, stated that he farms on approximately 800 decares of land on the island.