Sabancı University IICEC Brought Water Security and Sustainability to the Agenda at COP31

At the Special Water Event held by Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) in Antalya on the opening day of COP31, rising water stress, related risks and proposed solutions were discussed. At the event, where International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol delivered the opening speech, the IICEC COP31 Special Water Report was introduced. In the panel attended by senior representatives of the business world, water security and sustainability were evaluated within the framework of resource efficiency, technological solutions, investments and their relationship with electrification.

The IICEC Special Water Event was held by Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) within the scope of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP31 on 9 November 2026 at the Antalya Expo Blue Zone Türkiye Pavilion.

At the event, where International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director and IICEC Honorary Chairman Dr. Fatih Birol delivered the opening speech, the introductory presentation of the IICEC COP31 Special Water Report was also held.

In the panel moderated by Sabancı Holding CEO Kıvanç Zaimler, Energy Efficiency Association Chairman Ahmet Erdem, SOCAR Türkiye CEO and Advisor to the SOCAR President Elchin Ibadov, and Hitachi Energy Türkiye General Manager Yasemin Öztekin took part as speakers.

Dr. Fatih Birol: The issue of water is extremely important and strategic

International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director and IICEC Honorary Chairman Dr. Fatih Birol drew attention to water stress, the strategic importance of water, its critical role for the energy sector, and the contributions COP31 could make to the global energy transition.

Birol congratulated IICEC for bringing such an important and strategic issue as water to the agenda and preparing a special report in this field, and thanked Güler Sabancı, who led the emergence of this study, and the IICEC team. Stating that he was eagerly awaiting the findings and recommendations of the report, Birol explained the importance of water for the energy sector through a recent example from Hungary.

Birol noted that in Hungary, extreme temperatures and drought had caused a serious drop in river water levels, making it difficult to meet the cooling needs of nuclear power plants and creating a significant risk for electricity supply, drawing attention to the effects of water stress on energy security. Stating that he found the water report prepared by IICEC extremely important for this reason, Birol said he was eagerly looking forward to hearing the results of the report in Istanbul on 23 December.

Dr. Fatih Birol: The success of COP31 will be measured by concrete decisions

Noting that climate change has found less place on the international policy agenda in recent years, Dr. Fatih Birol stated that a successful COP summit should be evaluated based on two main criteria. According to Birol, these criteria are the number of heads of state and government attending the summit and the concrete and visible decisions that countries agree on at the end of the summit.

Noting that around 100 heads of state and government are expected to attend in Antalya, Birol emphasized that this development is important given the current geopolitical conditions, but that high-level participation needs to be supported with concrete results.

Stating that he had recommended to Türkiye and Australia that electrification be one of the main outcomes of COP31, Birol noted that the share of electricity in total energy consumption today is around 23 percent. Stating that they aim to raise this ratio to 35 percent by 2035, Birol described this approach as “35 by 35.”

Stating that he has seen an increasingly strong consensus forming around this goal in his talks with numerous governments around the world, Birol said he hoped more than 100 governments would make a commitment in this direction by the end of COP31. He stated that such a decision would not remain merely on paper, but would send a strong message to markets and investors that the future of energy lies in electrification.

Kıvanç Zaimler: IICEC's Special Water Report will guide Türkiye's future

Sabancı Holding CEO Kıvanç Zaimler drew attention to the critical importance of water and the increasing water stress in Türkiye for industry, the energy sector and all other sectors.

Emphasizing the importance of the strategic electrification agenda, Zaimler stated that water-related issues need to be carefully addressed in the coming period in line with Türkiye's electrification goals. He emphasized the importance of spreading effective and efficient solutions against increasing water stress in all sectors and raising awareness in this area.

Stating that IICEC's pioneering and analytical reports on the energy sector make a strong contribution to determining strategies and orientations, Zaimler said that the special study on water would also guide Türkiye toward a more secure and sustainable water future.

Ahmet Erdem: Efficiency is a shared solution area for water and energy

Energy Efficiency Association Chairman Ahmet Erdem drew attention to the scale of pressure on water resources by sharing data on Türkiye's water budget.

Noting that approximately half of Türkiye's annual average gross freshwater budget of 450 billion cubic meters is lost due to evaporation, Erdem stated that half of the remaining amount constitutes the net technically and economically usable potential.

Noting that freshwater consumption has increased 1.5-fold over the last twenty years to exceed 60 billion cubic meters, Erdem emphasized that climate change further increases the pressure on limited water resources. Stating that the balance between water supply and consumption shows that water stress is becoming an increasingly urgent issue for Türkiye, Erdem said that this situation poses a risk across a wide area ranging from agriculture to industry and from the energy sector to households.

Drawing attention to the fact that seasonality effects are experienced together in water and electricity supply and consumption, Erdem stated that both energy and water efficiency carry high potential as a shared solution area. Noting that reducing water losses also provides significant contributions to energy efficiency, Erdem emphasized the importance of investment and governance issues for a secure and sustainable water future.

Elchin Ibadov: The future of water and energy systems lies in integrated solutions

SOCAR Türkiye CEO and Advisor to the SOCAR President Elchin Ibadov drew attention to the determining effects of water crises on societies and economies, citing the drought period experienced by the Hittite Empire as an example.

With the words “The Hittites could sit at the table with Egypt; but they could not sit at the table with the rain,” he emphasized the importance of foreseeing water risks in advance and taking timely action.

Stating that measuring the industrial water footprint, reusing water, and addressing water management not only at the facility level but also at the basin scale are necessary, Ibadov shared an innovative “blue energy combined cycle” approach that brings together wind energy, seawater desalination, data centers and the chemical industry.

Within the scope of this model, it is envisioned that seawater be desalinated using wind energy, that the salt and minerals obtained as a result of desalination be utilized in the chemical industry, that the desalinated water be used for liquid cooling in data centers, and that the waste heat released from data centers be reutilized in chemical production processes.

Ibadov stated that planning water and electricity together and university-industry cooperation are of critical importance in developing such integrated solutions.

Yasemin Öztekin: Water efficiency, digitalization and integrated planning should be priorities

Hitachi Energy Türkiye General Manager Yasemin Öztekin emphasized that water scarcity is not merely an environmental problem; it is a critical issue that also affects economic, social and infrastructure resilience.

Drawing attention to the fact that the interdependence between water and electricity systems will increase further as electrification accelerates, Öztekin emphasized the importance of planning these two critical systems in an integrated manner and using resources more efficiently through digitalization and smart infrastructures.

Stating that the focus in water management should shift from resource management alone to water efficiency, Öztekin listed reducing water losses in city networks, expanding precision irrigation systems in agriculture, and increasing rainwater harvesting and the reuse of treated water as priority solution areas.

Noting that digital monitoring, forecasting and smart grid applications used in the electricity sector also offer significant opportunities for water infrastructures, Öztekin stated that predictable regulatory frameworks and new financing models that make projects financially viable are needed in order to expand water efficiency investments.

Bora Şekip Güray: A holistic and analytical approach to Türkiye's water stress

IICEC Director Bora Şekip Güray delivered the introductory presentation of the IICEC Special Water Report. In his presentation, Güray stated that Türkiye is already under water stress and that water scarcity is being experienced in some basins, underlining that increasing water stress and scarcity is an alarming and strategic issue for Türkiye.

Stating that IICEC's pioneering report study addresses Türkiye's water stress, water security and sustainability with an analytical approach, Güray stated that freshwater resources and consumption dynamics, as well as risks, opportunities and solution areas, were evaluated in a holistic manner.

Stating that the study, developed with the Public-Industry-Academia “success triangle” model and stakeholder participation as in IICEC's other reports, will offer concrete recommendations for Türkiye to achieve a more secure and sustainable water future, Güray said that the two-way dynamics between Türkiye's water and electricity sectors, in connection with COP31's electrification agenda, were also specifically examined in the report.

Dr. Mehmet Doğan Üçok: Every link of the energy transition is tied to water

The event was hosted by Sabancı University IICEC Coordinator Dr. Mehmet Doğan Üçok. In his assessment of the event, Üçok drew attention to the central role of water in the energy transition.

“COP31 is defined as an implementation summit; as Sabancı University IICEC, we are responding to this call from the area where climate change is felt first and most directly, namely the issue of water. Water is not a side issue of the energy transition; it is present at every stage of the transition. From electricity generation to hydrogen, from critical minerals to cooling, every link of the energy transition is tied to water; increasing water stress on a global scale is putting growing pressure on these links.

With the IICEC COP31 Special Water Report, we present the current situation and future outlook with Türkiye's own data and applicable policy options, bringing this issue to the world's agenda in Antalya. The solution proposals shared by senior representatives of the business world in the panel also showed that concrete steps can be taken in this field. This event is IICEC's contribution to closing the gap between commitments and implementation. The concept of 'the Implementation COP' is therefore extremely important.”