Impact of tourists on urban water needs in Marmaris, Turkiye

Water is one of the most basic necessities of humans, both for survival and environmental improvement. With the ongoing population growth and climate change, limited water resources are being consumed rapidly. Due to the rapid depletion of resources, the problem of water scarcity is also becoming increasingly common throughout the world. In this study, we analyze the current water potential of Marmaris, which is one of the important tourism regions of Turkiye. We aim to determine for how long the water resources will be sufficient to supply the region, along with its relationship with population and urbanization. To conduct these analyses, the population projections (winter population and tourist population) were calculated using the exponential regression method, and the amount of water needed by these populations was also calculated. A controlled classification method was used to associate land use data with population projections. As a result of these analyses, it has been determined that urbanization in Marmaris is much faster than population growth, and the existing water resources will be sufficient until approximately 2045.