Project Name: Planning of Forests for Their Water Function Project
Date: October 2018/ March 2020
Place: İzmir Bayındır Forest District Enterprise
Role Of DKM: Project implementation
Project Partners: General Directorate of Forestry, Coca-Cola Foundation, United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Fund Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF SGP)
Contact: Gökçe Okulu
Project Summary

The Planning of Forests for Their Water Functions Project was implemented to integrate the hydrological functions of forests into forest management planning, recognizing water provision as one of the most critical ecosystem services that forests deliver.

The project focused on the Küçük Menderes River Sub-basin, where the excessive use of both surface water and groundwater for agricultural irrigation has become a major environmental challenge. In line with the Küçük Menderes Basin Protection Action Plan prepared by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, the planning process considered the catchments of three existing and under-construction irrigation dams.

Using advanced hydrological modelling, the project assessed forest soil loss and water yield across the basin. Areas at greatest risk were identified through cumulative evaluation methods, and forest management practices were recommended to reduce soil erosion and enhance water yield. The integration of these measures into forest management planning across a total area of 72,895 hectares is expected to support the efficient irrigation of approximately 66,480 decares (6,648 hectares) of agricultural land.

The project successfully integrated hydrological functions and associated management practices into the revised forest management plans of the Alaçam and Ödemiş Forest Management Units, located within the Bayındır Forest Enterprise Directorate of the İzmir Regional Directorate of Forestry, covering part of the Küçük Menderes River Sub-basin. The knowledge, methodologies, and practical experience generated during the project were documented and disseminated through technical guidebooks and informational booklets.

Beyond its local impact, the project established an integrated forest management planning and implementation approach that places forest ecosystem services—particularly the hydrological functions of Mediterranean forests—at the center of sustainable forest management. The project's outcomes also informed revisions to the existing forestry legislation, creating a framework for scaling up this approach and incorporating hydrological ecosystem services into forest management practices throughout Türkiye.