INDUSTRY ON THE TRAIL OF WATER: A TEMPORAL AND SECTORAL ANALYSIS OF TURKEY'S INDUSTRIAL WATER

The industrial sector puts great pressure on environmental resources in terms of water consumption and wastewater generation, and this pressure has been increasing over the years. This study investigates the water footprint of Turkey's industrial sectors at the sectoral level, using statistics on water use and wastewater production. TUİK's industrial water and wastewater statistics, sectoral production data, and annual reports are used to assess water supply, water consumption, wastewater output, and treatment rates from 2014 to 2022. The study's goal is to evaluate the water footprint of various industrial sectors and identify sectoral disparities in water consumption and treatment effectiveness.

The findings demonstrate that, while some industries consume a lot of water, their treatment rates are insufficient, and water efficiency is low. In other sectors, there was a beneficial relationship between water use and wastewater generation within the industry and sector productivity. It also contributes to policies to promote efficient use of water resources and cleaner production practices. The research is directly tied to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12 (Responsible Production and Consumption). The achievement of these objectives requires efficient water management and industrial productivity.

Keywords: Water footprint, industrial water use, waste management, sectoral water efficiency, sustainable production.