Southeastern Anatolia Project: Difference between revisions
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The primary objective of GAP is to normalise levels of development, income, and living standards between the southeastern region and other regions of Turkey. Creating economic and social opportunities and promoting business, GAP is transforming the region completely. Critical infrastructure, such as airports and highways, is being constructed to support the development of the region. GAP will provide jobs to an estimated 3.5 million people directly. |
The primary objective of GAP is to normalise levels of development, income, and living standards between the southeastern region and other regions of Turkey. Creating economic and social opportunities and promoting business, GAP is transforming the region completely. Critical infrastructure, such as airports and highways, is being constructed to support the development of the region. GAP will provide jobs to an estimated 3.5 million people directly. |
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Finally, a number of judicial questions needed clearing over the flooding of several historical sites as well as local residences as described in the Social Impact section. |
Finally, a number of judicial questions needed clearing over the flooding of several historical sites as well as local residences as described in the Social Impact section. |
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==Conspiracy== |
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| ⚫ | Investigations by the [[Kurdish Human Rights Project]] (KHRP) claims that ''widespread perception that the GAP project, and Ilisu in particular, is motivated primarily by a desire to destroy the Kurds as an ethnic group by destroying their most important cultural sites.'' [http://www.khrp.org/publish/p1999/99G.htm] |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 21:59, 12 September 2005
The Southeastern Anatolia Project (Turkish: Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi) or GAP is the dam/irrigation project consisting of a series of 21 dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers primarily to be constructed in the soulth eastern region of Turkey. The project is expected to be completed by 2010 and total expenses of the project are estimated at $32 billion USD.
Irrigation
GAP is estimated to double Turkey's irrigable farmland. The increase of agricultural activity of GAP in its incomplete state is visible clearly on the USDA graph above. Cotton production increased from 150,000 metric tons to 400,000 metric tons, making the region the top cotton producer.
File:Dams gap.jpg
File:Ataturk regions.jpg
GAP will create 17,000 square kilometres (4.2 million acres) of farmland in the Harran plain alone, as visible on two USDA maps above.
Reports indicate due to irrigation from the Atatürk Dam have tripled harvest yields of cotton, wheat, barley, lentils, and even other grains in the Harran plain. A number of Agriculture Department backed innitiatives are encouraging farmers to experiment with new varieties of fruits, vegetables, and nuts that did not exist in the region prior.
As a result of GAP, land values, personal income, number of agricultural and personal vehicles of course has increased, even have tripled in the past eight years.
Fishing
GAP is been built at a region where water used to be a scarce. With the vast number of lakes beeing formed, plans of using them as a breeding space of comercial fishing is also underway. At the case of Atatürk Dam fishing industry in the region is already developing.
Power
The GAP also consists of 17 hydroelectric power plants. These will supply the energy equivalent of 22% of the anticipated total nationwide energy consumption in 2010. Providing 8.9 billion kilowatt hours, it is one of the largest series of hydroelectric power plants in the world.
Atatürk Dam
The Atatürk Dam was built on the Euphrates river, and was completed in 1990. It is one of the world's largest earth-and-rock fill dams, with the embankment 604 feet (184 m) high and 5971 feet (1820 m). The dam is the centerpiece and the largest of the 21 dams of GAP. The Atatürk dam lake occupies 817 km² (320 miles²) in total surface area. The change in the Harran plain is visible on two images taken by Landsat 7 satellite on 20 August 1983 and 24 August 2002.
Maintenance
The reason for the sheer number of dams in the project, more than would at first appear needed, is maintenance. Dams need to be cleaned from the debris carried with the water flow. After a while the dam becomes obsolete as water flow slows down to inadequate levels. The dams will be shut down every 5-10 years for fall maintanance (also called fall cleanup). Water levels are normally lowest in fall. The extra dams are placed in service during this maintenance period.
In cases of natural disasters such as floods, the maintenance may be performed earlier. The plan is to have one or two dams spare in case an emergency shutdown of any dam is necessary. While shutting down a dam also shuts down irrigation channels linked to it, it can nevertheless continue providing power.
Engineering behind the project
Providing electricity and irrigation is challenging in a region as large as the one targeted by GAP. A constant flow of water is imperative.
Once a constant rate of flow is available, the water can be diverted to flow through turbines to create alternating current, which can be channeled to cities across considerable distances. The energy dissipitator (left) is the water flowing off of the turbines which are not visible but are embedded in concrete. However electricity is only part of the usage of the tons of water collected at the dam.
When dealing with tons of water, it has to be distributed evenly and slowly. Occasionally main channels will need maintenance, or may be damaged due to external reasons. In order to even asses the problem, tons of water need to be removed from the main channel. The best way to do this is to slow the overal flow from the main dam and redirect all water flowing originally through the damaged channel to backup channels. Radial gates serves this purpose, they regulate the flow of water. It is imperative to keep water flowing. Lack of the flow will not only comprimise all irrigation linked to that channel but also all cities linked will experience a power outage.
After leaving the energy dissipitator, water flows into a set of main channels, which flow in different directions supplying water to a greater area. They are the most critical part of a dam project aside from the dam itself. This is as critical as high-voltage transmission lines in power grids.
Sluice gates regulate the flow of water. If water flows too fast it will overflow and probably damage one or more of the channels, or flood irrigation fields. Multiple sluice gates regulate the speed of the flow on different sections of the channel. They can also be used like radial gates to cut water in channels.
After leaving the radial gates on the main channel, water flows to canals which are smaller and can carry less water. Flow regulators divert water on canals to distribution canals. Just like radial gates and sluice gates, flow generators can stop water flow if necessary. Distribution canals are the last step as far as engineers are concerned. It delivers water to different sections of large fields, pretty much an artificial river.
It is up to farmers to get the water from distribution channels to their crops for irrigation. There are different methods to do this; any one or a combination of earth distribution channel, furrow, and drip tubes can be used.
Social Impact
The GAP occupies eight provinces in Southeastern Anatolia (Adıyaman, Batman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Siirt, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, and Şırnak).
The primary objective of GAP is to normalise levels of development, income, and living standards between the southeastern region and other regions of Turkey. Creating economic and social opportunities and promoting business, GAP is transforming the region completely. Critical infrastructure, such as airports and highways, is being constructed to support the development of the region. GAP will provide jobs to an estimated 3.5 million people directly.
Status of GAP
| Status of the Project as of June 2000 | |||
| Completed | Ongoing | Planned | |
| Power Capacity (MW) | 4,490 | 898 | 1,947 |
| Energy Production (GWh/yr) | 16,704 | 3,286 | 7,119 |
| Irrigation Area (ha) | 212,197 | 159,147 | 1,428,656 |
| Number of Dams | 12 | 2 | 8 |
| Number of Hydropower Plants | 6 | 2 | 10 |
According to many estimates, the GAP's completion date of 2010 is unlikely to be achieved. Some dams, such as the one closest to Hatay, are long overdue for fall maintenance. Since the start of its construction the project was hampered by various issues ranging from diplomatic problems and economic crises to terrorism.
Tensions between Turkey, Syria and Iraq were raised from time to time due to GAP. Syria and Iraq demanded more water to be released, while Turkey declined so as to form the dam lakes. Because of this GAP is one of the world's most well protected dam projects, especially against aircraft.
GAP almost came to a complete halt in the early 1990's due to the high level of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) activity in the region. The PKK is not only blamed for a number of funding cuts as funds were diverted to support the counter-terrorism effort, but is also blamed for damaging several dams and canals, as well as killing engineers working at the dams.
A number of economic crises also played a very important part in the delays of GAP.
Finally, a number of judicial questions needed clearing over the flooding of several historical sites as well as local residences as described in the Social Impact section.
Conspiracy
Completion of the Ilisu dam would cause the flooding of the ancient city of Hasankeyf whose history stretches back over 10,000 years.
Investigations by the Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP) claims that widespread perception that the GAP project, and Ilisu in particular, is motivated primarily by a desire to destroy the Kurds as an ethnic group by destroying their most important cultural sites. [1]
Between 50 and 68 hamlets and villages will be flooded affecting approximately 25,000 local people. An additional 57 villages will have their land partially flooded.
Many villages have been evacuated at gunpoint by the Turkish authorities, and in many cases houses have been burnt to the ground.
See also
External links and sources
- www.gap.gov.tr - Official GAP web site
- www.un.org.tr/undp/Gap.htm - United Nations Southeast Anatolia Sustainable Human Development Program (GAP)
- www.gapturkiye.gen.tr/english/current.html Current status of GAP as of june 2000
- www.khrp.org/publish/p1999/IlisuReport.htm The Ilisu Dam - A Human Rights Disaster in the Making
- http://www.ilisu.org.uk/ Ilisu Dam Campaign