The south east Anatolia integrated development project, or GAP to use the Turkish acronym, is a massive programme of investment designed to improve conditions in this least developed region of Turkey.
The focus of investment will be on the distribution of the water from the Ataturk and Batman Dams for irrigated agriculture on the vast plains of the Tigris and Euphrates basins. When it is complete 1.7 million hectares will be irrigated and 27 billion kilowatts of hydropower energy will be produced.
The goal of the project is to ensure that GAP's major engineering infrastructure for the storage, conveyance and distribution of irrigation water are optimally utilised.
The initial stages of the assignment were concerned with the identification of the most appropriate model for the development of irrigated agriculture taking account of socio-economic, environmental, legal, institutional, organisational and management considerations. This required a participative planning procedure within GAP to identify appropriate management systems.
The second phase of the assignment covered the implementation of the management structure in pilot areas.
The third phase of the assignment was concerned with irrigation development at farm and community levels.
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