Assessing the Water-Resources Potential of Istanbul by Using a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Hydrological Model

Abstract

Uncertainties due to climate change and population growth have created a critical situation for many megacities. Investigating spatio-temporal variability of water resources is, therefore, a critical initial step for water-resource management. This paper is a first study on the evaluation of water-budget components of water resources in Istanbul using a high-resolution hydrological model. In this work, the water resources of Istanbul and surrounding watersheds were modeled using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which is a continuous-time, semi-distributed, process-based model. The SWAT-CUP program was used for calibration/validation of the model with uncertainty analysis using the SUFI-2 algorithm over the period 1977-2013 at 25 gauge stations. The results reveal that the annual blue-water potential of Istanbul is 3.5 billion m 3 , whereas the green-water flow and storage are 2.9 billion m 3 and 0.7 billion m 3 , respectively. Watersheds located on the Asian side of the Istanbul megacity yield more blue-water resources compared to the European side, and constitute 75% of the total potential water resources. The model highlights the water potential of the city under current circumstances and gives an insight into its spatial distribution over the region. This study provides a strong basis for forthcoming studies concerning better water-resources management practices, climate change and water-quality studies, as well as other socio-economic scenario analyses in the region.

A Guideline for Successful Calibration and Uncertainty Analysis for Soil and Water Assessment: A Review of Papers from the 2016 International SWAT Conference

“…4-Cuceloglu et al [28] simulated the water resources of Istanbul and quantified the spatial distribution of the region. Their results show that the annual blue-water potential of Istanbul is 3.5 billion m 3 , whereas the green-water flow and storage are 2.9 billion m 3 and 0.7 billion m 3 , respectively.…”

Application of SWAT Model with CMADS Data to Estimate Hydrological Elements and Parameter Uncertainty Based on SUFI-2 Algorithm in the Lijiang River Basin, China

“…In recent years, SWAT has been successfully applied in the study of hydrological elements in various watersheds. For example, the SWAT model was applied to study changes in the water budget caused by climate change [20][21][22][23]. The SWAT model was used to study hydrological elements in ice-and snow-covered mountainous area [24][25][26].…”

The Mediation Effect of Coping Style on the Relations between Personality and Life Satisfaction in Chinese Adolescents

“…With different personality traits, people have different standards to evaluate the level of stress in each situation. One situation may be perceived as extremely stressful by some people, whereas other people may easily adapt to the same situation (Cüceloglu, 1991; Deniz, 2006). …”