Turkey: Urban water management model to be exemplified by three cities

Cities of Istanbul, Kayseri and Trabzon will participate in a ground breaking collaborative project between international and Turkish water experts and local ministerial experts to create an integrated, more sustainable model for urban water management. The Turkish Ministry of the Environment and Forestry and theInternational Water Association (IWA) have today agreed to implement IWA's Cities of the Future Programme with the three partner cities over a three year period.

Experts from the Istanbul Technical University, the Bogazici Institute of Environmental Sciences, other Turkish university collaborators and IWA international experts will provide models, technologies and approaches that meet the highest global standards in urban water management. The project will culminate in an international Cities of the Future Conference in Istanbul in 2013.

"Cities of the Future represents an acknowledgement by leaders in the water sector that the current, most predominately used techniques for water supply, wastewater treatment, and stormwater management do not reflect the growing realities of a changing global context. Human population growth, rising incomes, and increased urbanization are colliding with resource limits and global warming to create an imperative for change in both the developing and developed regions," said Dr Glen Daigger, President-elect of IWA.

"Cities of the Future is about 'learning by doing'. Turkish and international experts will combine the facts on the ground with emerging global best practice gleaned from leading edge projects from around the world."

"Cities of the Future will inform, inspire, and broaden alternatives for these thriving cities with major 21st Century infrastructure investments ahead of them. Through participation in the Cities of the Future, Turkish university scholars will be building enhanced capacity in their role as technology advisors to city and central government ministries. This enhanced capacity can then translate throughout all of Turkey's cities leading to a methodology to serve as a guide for all cities with similar issues and opportunities," Dr Daigger concluded.

The next global Cities of the Future workshop will be at the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition 19-24 September 2010 in Montreal, Canada. For more information, please visit Congress website www.iwa2010montreal.org/

For more information on the Cities of the Future project please contact Mr Steve Moddemeyer at steve.moddemeyer@iwahq.org. or Prof. Ruya Tasli Toraman on taslir@itu.edu.tr. Alternatively you can visit http://www.iwahq.org/Home/Themes/Cities_of_the_Future/ You can also contact Ms Michaela Lauren, IWA Communications Manager on michaela.lauren@iwahq.org or +31 621 879 553.

The International Water Association is the global reference point and network for water professionals, spanning research and practice and covering all facets of the water cycle. Through its network of members and experts in research, practice, regulation, industry, consulting and manufacturing, IWA is in a better position than any other organisation to lead and support water professionals to create innovative, pragmatic and sustainable solutions for current and future global water challenges. For more information on IWA please visit www.iwahq.org