PROBLEM SOLUTION PAPER
Submission III
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What can be done to prevent excessive water use in Istanbul?
(Names of the students)
I. Problem Statement
Consuming more than what is needed causes a demand that the planet cannot cope with. The Global Risk Report 2020 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) notes that one of the three most important challenges worldwide is overconsumption of water. WEF indicates that nearly 25% of the world’s population faces water crises; by 2025 the figure is predicted to be 60%. This will have severe impacts on all three pillars of sustainability, including human health, natural ecosystems, and economic growth. We use water in practically all aspects of our lives, including for nourishment, cleaning, the manufacture of all manner of goods, from clothing to food, and even including biofuels. Increasing demand for water will have a negative impact even on the most water rich countries, such as Turkey. Water consumption in Turkey is an annual 1519 m3 per capita (TurkStat, 2016). Moreover, by 2030, the population of Turkey will increase to 100 million people (TurkStat, 2020). Consequently, the amount of water available for consumption will decrease to an annual 1120 m3 per capita. Istanbul, being the largest and busiest metropolis in Turkey, with a population of approximately 16 million people (TurkStat, 2020), is particularly affected by this impending water crisis. Daily water consumption in Istanbul is 2,646,827 m3;the annual yield of potable water resources in Istanbul is limited to 1,353,000,000 m3 (Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration [ISKI], 2020). A limited supply of freshwater resources thus suggests a need to take aggressive action to combat excessive water use in Istanbul.
There are three main causes of excessive water use in Istanbul including population growth, industrialization, and consumer negligence. The first major problem is population growth. Istanbul is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. It is inevitable that more population means more consumption. However, rebalancing the use of resources to a more sustainable pattern of consumption is a must. The second major problem is that industrial production keeps rising along with consumer demands. When we look at the industry water usage rate,manufacturers consumed 2.4 billion m3 of water in 2014 (TurkStat, 2016). 70.7% was abstracted from the sea; the rest of the water was supplied from wells, dams, rivers, springs, and municipal water supply networks. Yet, production without taking finite resources from our planet is a future goal for many companies.The third major problem is consumer negligence. In Turkey, municipal water consumption for domestic use is approximately 190 liters per capita (ISKI, 2019). This rate is around 150 liters/day in the member states of the European Union and decreases further with the measures taken. About 26% of the water Turkish people use in their homes are in toilets, 22% in washing machines, 17% in showers, 16% in taps, 2% in baths and 3% in other parts. When we interpret these statistics, it is obvious that people are recklessly consuming this precious resource.
Excessive water use leads to water depletion. This hasserious implications for public health, environmental sustainability, food and energy security, and economic development (UN, 2020). An adequate amount and good quality of water is directly associated with human health.Drinking water and water for crops and animals are necessary components for life. Water scarcity hinders social and economic development. Water is critical to the survival of people and the planet. We cannot live without it. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to critically analyze local and international solutions to the problem and suggest a solution for excessive water use in Istanbul, contributing to the UN’s sustainable development goals at both micro and macro levels.
II. Existing Solutions
In this paper, a variety of existing solutions for excessive water use are explained and analyzed in a chart (see appendix). As a governmental solution, the Turkish government tries to bring legislative standards for water quality and quantity in line with EU standards. It also aims for sustainable management of water resources. However, the urgent need of a national water plan should be implemented soon. In the absence of such a policy, good water quality and a healthy ecosystem as the basis for welfare and prosperity cannot be achieved. A successful integration of the policy into internationally accepted water management principles paths the way towards robust foundations for sustainable well-being.
The “Let’s Make a Deal” project is developed by the NGO, “We Are Water” foundation. Targeting the hospitality industry, the projectrequires offering guests the chance to skip washing towels and sheets daily to save water and energy. The implementation of this model reduces not only excessive water use but sewer, energy, and labor costs as well. Although the project looks impressive, the We Are Water Foundation should seek to expand this project globally. Collaborating with more hotel chains and asking for government support is necessary. The hospitality industry should not perceive this idea as bothersome to vacationing guests. Rather, the given NGO needs to emphasize valuable guest contributions and project impacts on global sustainability.
As a CSR solution, the Coca-Cola Company has been involved in several collaborations for water stewardship since 2004. The company is the market leader in the global beverage industry. The first ingredient of their beverages is water. They indicate the importance of water stewardship and emphasize their commitment to reduce their water footprint. It is not easy to determine whether the company’s efforts are genuine, or if they are engaged in greenwashing. They claim to return 100% of the water they use for their drinks, which may be unrealistic. A 100% water-sustainable beverage business may be interpreted as being overly ambitious.
As a social business solution, the Grameen –Veolia Water Project is not directly related to preventing excessive use of water but caters to SDG 6 in terms of safe water and sanitation. The project makes clean and safe water accessible to villagers in the poorest parts of Bangladesh. However, there is an urgent need for this project to be expanded to other arsenic-affected regions in that country. Water contamination could be a potential problem for any country. The Grameen – Veolia initiative could play a leading role for implementation of this social business model wherever and whenever needed.
All the solutions mentioned above will definitely help our world continue to thrive in the face of this global challenge. Although these projects may help alleviate the water problem, other efficient solutions are still needed to be developed. Based on geographical, climatic, cultural, and economic differences, one type of solution does not help us to completely eradicate the problem. As an integral part of a larger project aimed to achieve SDG 6, we would like to address one specific underlying factor of the problem, notably consumer negligence, in our suggested solution. We propose our solution below with the hope that we contribute to the sustainability of our planet.
III. Suggested Solution
Excessive water use is a global phenomenon with specific local and global causes and impacts. Consumer negligence for excessive water use clearly poses a threat to both water sustainability at the micro level and sustainable development at a macro level. In our solution, the focus is Istanbul. Municipal authorities andIstanbul dwellers need to take mutual action so that excessive water consumption will not result in irreversible consequences. We developed the following project with the aim of contributing to a sustainable future and stimulating further improvements and applications to a variety of contexts.
İSKİ – Urbanite Solidarity Project
The İSKİ – Urbanite Solidarity Project aims to decrease excessive water use by raising awareness and rewarding citizens who are contributing to water conservation. The project has three main stages in order to provide a sustainable solution.
1.Raising Public Awareness:
This stage will proceed with government building a common understanding of the water scarcity problem to create shared values on how water should be used and managed. Media tools such as TV, internet, and printed media, as well as non-conventional media tools such as billboards, water bills with messages and pictures on will be used for raising public awareness. According to the Istanbul Electric Tramway and Tunnel Establishments (İETT, 2019), 15 million commuters use public transportation every day in Istanbul. As a result, transportation screens are probably a very effective way to communicate the project to society. Additionally, planning and executing campaigns by establishing partnerships with experts, schools, and local NGOs may provide effective dissemination of information. All of these attempts will definitely promote greater sustainable behavior among city dwellers.
2. İSKİ Card
The population of Istanbul has reached over 15.5 million, making up 18.66% of Turkey's total population (TurkStat, 2020). According to İSKİ (2020), 2,646,827 m³ of water is consumed in İstanbul daily; individual water consumption is 190 liters a day, far surpassing the global average of 80 liters. Based on the statistics above, İSKİ will execute the second stage of the project: providing an optional İSKİ Card for interested subscribers. The number of İSKİ registrants is 6,521,055 (İSKİ, 2020). If registrants wish to subscribe to have an İSKİ Card, they may get them from the banks for free. They will either fill in a form in the bank or do it online. By signing up for the İSKİ Card, they will start earning points. All they need to do is to consume less than 5700 liters of water per household monthly. Starting from the first month on, İSKİ will upload the monthly bill details to the card. Reduced water consumption will be rewarded. A proposed reward system is as follows:
Water consumption in liters per household/month
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Points earned
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TL Value
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5700 – 5200
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50
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20
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5199 – 4700
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75
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30
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4699 – 4200
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100
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40
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4199 – 3700
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125
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50
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3699 – 3200
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150
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60
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3199 – 2700
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175
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70
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2699 – 2200
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200
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80
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2199 – 1700
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225
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90
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Below 1700
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None
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None
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If the consumption of the card holder(s) drops below 1700 liters a month, there will be no points earned.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 50 and 100 liters of water per capita daily are needed to ensure that most basic needs are met, and few health concerns arise (UN, n.d.). Therefore, urbanites need to be discouraged from threatening their health by not using adequate levels of water. Once the points are earned, they can be used in supermarkets such as Migros, technology stores such as Teknosa, and bookstores such as D&R. İSKİ will collaborate with the business world to be involved in this project. There will probably be many businesses to sign up for this sustainability partnership. The collaboration will also contribute to the businesses’ CSR and publicity.
3. İSKİ – Urbanite Solidarity Certificate
İSKİ is committed to ensure safely managed water services to urbanites, prioritizing environmental sustainability. İSKİ needs to develop an integrated and collaborative approach to water management. Therefore, urbanites are asked to use water in a more sustainable way by raising awareness and using the İSKİ Card. As the final stage of the project, the İSKİ – Urbanite Solidarity Certificate will be given to urbanites who are highly committed to conserve water. The water consumption of subscribers will be evaluated annually. Those who manage to consume 20-70% less water than average will be given a certificate. After a draw, 100 of these citizens will be invited to an İSKİ annual meeting to have a say in the forthcoming year’s water management plan. They will gather to discuss environmental sustainability and citizen priorities. By collaborating with urbanites, İSKİ will definitely provide a better service and empower the people of Istanbul regarding local water management issues.
On the contrary to the existing solutions discussed in the previous section lacking both a comprehensive scope and realistic approach, the İSKİ – Urbanite Solidarity Project is a realistic, original and a quite feasible project with a focused but still comprehensive scope, notably targeting Istanbul and its 16 million dwellers. In relation to the root causes mentioned earlier in this paper, the project directly addresses the third specific underlying factor of the problem which is consumer negligence. The other two root causes which are growth and industrialization may not be tackled easily. Again, when compared to the existing solutions, our project is a megaproject aimed at changing over 16 million citizens’ lifestyles to respect and protect the most valuable resource of our planet which is essential on our way to the sustainable development. Moreover, it is measurable and time-bound in the sense that the goal can be evaluated with objective statistics within a specific time span. The ultimate goal of preventing excessive water use is realistically achievable when resources, enthusiasm, and support are available. This local project could also be an inspiring one both nationally and internationally.
In conclusion, there is no single solution to achieve all sustainable development goals although the global challenges are inextricably linked. To ensure a better world where no one is left behind depends on maximizing both collective awareness and effort. Given the opportunity, our project could be one of the proposals which can propel us towards and accelerate our transition to becoming a more sustainable society.
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