According to him, in an age in which competition for power is intensifying in all fields, the most strategic and valuable resource in production and energy is water.
He made this point at the opening of 563 facilities, built by the Turkish State Water Resources Directorate (DSI), Klix.ba reports.
"The fight that was fought for oil and other fossil fuels in the past century will be fought for water in the coming time. Looking at the heated conflicts around us, we can already see these signs," Erdogan said.
He reminded that water is under threat due to climate change, population growth, rapid urbanization and industrialization. He emphasized that the annual global average rainfall in Turkey is 990 millimeters (990 liters per square meter) while the Turkish average is 574 millimeters (574 liters per square meter).
"This shows us that we are obliged to protect, rationally use and manage our water before we reach the point of exhaustion," Erdogan said.
He called on the population and institutions to have a rational attitude towards water. As he stated, care must be taken not only to avoid wasting tap water, but also water from rivers.
He recalled that the global demand for clean water is increasing, but that it is decreasing due to overconsumption and pollution.
"Currently, 2.2 billion people in the world do not have safe access to drinking water. According to the World Water Report, it is estimated that six billion people will not have access to sufficient clean water by 2050. In addition, the climate crisis is the greatest threat to our water, our source of life," Erdogan said.
He noted that Turkey is facing some of the greatest threats from climate change, which also applies to forest fires and floods, writes the Hurriyet newspaper.
