An Overview of Historical Development, Current Situation, and Future Prospects of Managed Aquifer Recharge in Türkiye

Climate change, rapid population growth, and unsustainable water use in industry and agriculture have all significantly harmed the quantity and quality of groundwater resources. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) offers a solution to these challenges, encompassing a variety of methods and strategies for protecting and improving groundwater systems. This article provides a complete overview of MAR in Türkiye, concentrating on its historical development, current situation, and future prospects. MAR has been increasingly used to combat water scarcity since the 1960s, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions in Türkiye with significant groundwater depletion. The majority of completed managed aquifer recharge (MAR) projects in Türkiye employ in-channel modifications, accounting for 77%. This is followed by well recharge techniques and surface spreading methods, with values of 16% and 4%, respectively. Future projects are expected to focus on the southeastern and central regions, with in-channel modifications increasing to 90%. In comparison, methods such as well recharge (6%), surface spreading (3%), and other methods are limited. Despite the growing application of MAR, Turkey requires strong regulatory frameworks to ensure the safe and successful implementation of these methods, including groundwater quality, source water regulations, and geological concerns regionally. MAR can promote sustainable water management by minimizing the effects of population growth and climate change on groundwater resources.