G.A.P. Project
Southeastern Anatolia Project, or GAP with its Turkish
initials,is the biggest development project ever undertaken by
Turkey,and one of the biggest of its kind in the world. The
integrated, multi-sectoral project includes 13 major projects which
are primarily for irrigation and hydropower generation, planned by
the State Hydraulic Works (DSI). The project envisages the
construction of 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants on the
Euphrates and Tigris rivers and their tributaries. It is planned
that at full development over. 1.7 million ha. of land will be
irrigated and 27 billion kWh of electricity will be generated
annually with an installed capacity over 7,500 MW. The area to be
irrigated accounts for 19% of the economically irrigable area in
Turkey (8.5 million ha), and the annual electricity generation
accounts for 22 % of the country's economically viable hydropower
potential (118 billion kWh).GAP is now one of the most ambitious
regional development projects ever attempted in the world. It
covers, in addition to the irrigation and hydropower schemes, all
the related social and economic sectors including industry,
transportation, mining, telecommunications, health,
education,tourism, and infrastructure.
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