The first meeting of the “Subcommittee on the Assessment of Treated Wastewater and Other Water Resources Used for Agricultural Irrigation within the Framework of the One Water - One Health Approach,” established under the coordination of the Turkish Water Institute (SUEN), was held as part of the decisions of the 5th National Water Council meeting.
The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Lütfi Akca, President of SUEN, and brought together senior representatives from relevant public institutions and organizations, as well as academics from various universities.
The meeting was attended by senior representatives from the GD of Fisheries and Aquaculture; GD of Plant Production; Presidential Council for Agriculture and Food Policies; GD of Environmental Management; GD of Environmental Impact Assessment, Permit and Inspection; GD of State Hydraulic Works; GD of Nature Conservation and National Parks; GD of Food and Control; GD of Public Health; GD of Livestock; GD of Legal Services; GD of Agricultural Research and Policies; GD of Agricultural Reform; GD of Health Promotion; GD of Sectors and Public Investments of the Presidency of Strategy and Budget; GD of Water Management; Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA); and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Experts and academics from relevant university departments, including biosystems engineering, biology, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, medicine, and veterinary medicine, also participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, the Subcommittee’s planned activities and target outputs for the upcoming period were discussed, with a particular focus on the assessment of treated wastewater and other water resources used for agricultural irrigation by taking into account human, animal, and environmental health, as well as the sustainable management of water resources.
Through its work, the Subcommittee aims to strengthen the linkages between water management and health and environmental policies and to develop science- and policy-based recommendations for the safe and effective use of water resources across different applications.