Enabling widespread use of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems: challenges and needs in twenty-first-century Istanbul

ABSTRACT

Water supply has been a chronic challenge in Istanbul since its foundation. Authorities have sought alternative methods since the Roman and Byzantine periods. Cisterns, channels and wells surveyed in urban heritage sites in Istanbul provide evidence of rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a working solution in the past. However, RWH systems have only been utilized in contemporary plans and policies very recently, particularly since the climate change crisis entered the political agenda in Turkey. Taking this as a point of departure, this paper investigates the challenges of widespread implementation of RWH systems in Istanbul through a participatory inquiry with water management actors. Challenges and needs are explored through a set of in-depth interviews and participatory workshops with representatives from water management institutions. The findings reveal that current challenges are related to planning and development, legislation and governance, financing, society, infrastructure, installation and operation of systems. The potential solution is the establishment of a governance mechanism that enables collective action among relevant actors.

KEYWORDS:

• Rainwater
• rainwater harvesting
• water management
• sustainability
• urban water
• Istanbul

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Dr. Lutgarde Vandeput, Dr. Çiğdem Özkan Aygün and Prof. Dr. Jim Crow for their presentations which stimulated the discussions during the workshop. The author would also like to thank Dr Akgün İlhan and Özlem Başdoğan for their valuable support in moderating focus group discussions; Selin Sena Akdeniz and Başak Sağlam for taking minutes during the workshop. Finally, the author would like to thank Professor Louis Albrechts and the reviewers for the valuable comments which have significantly helped the paper improve.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration was established to carry out the water and sewerage services of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The Administration has its own budget.

2 This inquiry is designed as a part of a wider research project, Water in İstanbul: Rising to the Challenge?, run by the British Institute at Ankara, Istanbul Technical University, University of Edinburgh and Northumbria University.

Additional information

Funding

This research is designed as a part of a wider research project, Water in İstanbul: Rising to the Challenge? and funded by the British Academy's Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research Programme 2021 No: KF5210382.