The Importance of Water Quality and Water Pollution in Agriculture: Case of Nilüfer Creek in Bursa

In terms of water use, industry, population and agriculture sector are in great competition in the world. Industry that need a lot of water, threaten the valuable agricultural land which are rich in underground water. In addition, their wastes pollute the surface waters. Considering that Turkey is located on water scarcity zone in the world, the right management of water use is very important. In general, 20% of the available water is used in industry, 10% is used as drinking water and 70% is used in agricultural irrigation. Bursa province is an important area due to its agricultural potential, surface and underground water sources. Serious problems can arise in agricultural production as a result of water quality deterioration and water pollution for any reason. Therefore, both the quantity and quality of the water used in agriculture are of great importance in terms of agricultural productivity. In recent years, there have been significant problems in agricultural irrigation and water pollution in Bursa province, and following that some serious environmental problems are encountered. The pollution problem experienced in Nilüfer Creek in recent years is a good example of this