THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INTEGRATED RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCES: USA AND TURKEY SAMPLES - ENTEGRE NEH？R HAVZASINI Y？NETME DENEY？MLER？N？N KAR？ILA？TIRMALI ANAL？Z？: ABD VE TüRK？YE ？RNEKLER？

One of the approaches developed to develop and evaluate watersheds is the integrated river basin management (IRBM) approach. IRBM is the development and use of water and soil resources in an integrated way. The world’s oldest and most famous IRBM example is Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that is founded in 1933 in the USA. TVA has pioneered similar projects in many countries. One of them is the Southeast Anatolia Project in Turkey (GAP). TVA has been established to accelerate the economic development of the Tennessee Valley. Established in a way that has the initiative and flexibility of private enterprise TVA has implemented the IRBM approach on the basis of regional development approach. In this context, he built many dams and irrigation canals; produced electrical energy; contributed to the development of the region. GAP, Turkey’s multi-sectoral, integrated regional development project. It was developed in 1977 to make dams and irrigation canals in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. 78 % of the energy projects of the GAP which could not be completed in 40 years, and 52 % of the irrigation projects were realized. In this study, TVA and GAP were examined comparatively in terms of establishment process, purpose, management, financing and activities. similar and different aspects have been revealed. Subject was examined by document analysis technique. The main similarities of the two projects were the IRBM approach; The main differences were observed in financing and management structures and activities