Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı announced plans to protect the country's depleting basins through a project to collect data and promote preservation.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is developing water atlases as part of the "Türkiye Digital Water Resources Substrates" project. The initiative aims to produce and sustain geographically detailed data on water resources at a comprehensive scale. Given the significant impact of global warming and seasonal changes on water sources, the ministry has launched this project to promote sustainable water policies.

Under the leadership of the General Directorate of Water Management, the project will digitize drinking-water basins and compile a Water Atlases of Türkiye booklet. Minister Yumaklı explained that 270 stagnant water sources, including reservoirs, ponds and river branches feeding drinking-water sources, will undergo hydrological analyses using Geographic Information Systems. Protection plans for these basins will be meticulously determined based on these boundaries.

Highlighting Beyşehir Lake as a critical natural drinking water source, Yumaklı emphasized its selection as a pilot region for the project. He also confirmed the forthcoming publication of Türkiye Water Atlases and accompanying booklets.