Garanti BBVA puts water front and center in industry efficiency push
Garanti BBVA is sharpening its focus on water efficiency, positioning itself at the forefront of Türkiye’s efforts to ensure sustainable industrial growth in water-intensive sectors. Backing a new study prepared in collaboration with the Türkiye Informatics Foundation’s Starting Point platform, the bank examines water usage and efficiency potential in the food, textile, and paper industries. These sectors together account for a major share of industrial water consumption in Türkiye.
Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of Türkiye’s 25 water basins, Garanti BBVA’s research highlights how industrial facilities are increasingly concentrated in water-stressed regions. The data, which the bank published as part of the "Water Efficiency in Industry" report, reveals that 13% of the nation’s overall water withdrawal is consumed by manufacturing. Yet the uptake of advanced water-saving technologies in this sector remains stubbornly limited.
While Turkish industry widely acknowledges the importance of water, Garanti BBVA notes that most companies continue to restrict recovery systems to what is legally mandated, missing out on opportunities to enhance efficiency and savings. The report emphasizes that reusing process water through treatment and filtration could substantially reduce operating costs and increase resilience: an imperative, as more than 93% of wastewater exits the system without recycling.
In its engagement with corporate clients, Garanti BBVA is vocal about making water management a boardroom issue. Cemal Onaran, Deputy General Manager, argues that proper water stewardship is “the foundation of economic resilience.” He maintains that Garanti BBVA has identified water efficiency as a competitive differentiator for its clients, contending, “Water is not only an environmental necessity but also the foundation of economic resilience.”
According to the bank’s analysis, as much as 40 percent of Türkiye’s textile sector, 30 percent of the food industry, and 7 percent of the paper industry operate in basins already experiencing water scarcity. Garanti BBVA warns that this regional concentration intensifies production risks, particularly in basins such as Marmara and Küçük Menderes, where water stress is compounded by rapid population growth.
Garanti BBVA is leveraging its expertise in sustainable finance to bridge the gap between awareness and action. The bank offers innovative financing solutions for industrial clients seeking to modernize their water infrastructure. It also coordinates initiatives such as the “Blue Breath” project, which brings together science, civil society, and technology to safeguard water resources across the entire cycle: from combating mucilage to restoring marine ecosystems. For Garanti BBVA, enabling clients to invest in water efficiency is not just about regulatory compliance but about future-proofing Turkish industry in an era of global resource constraints. The bank’s ultimate objective is to accelerate the sustainable transformation of both businesses and communities by providing not only capital, but also knowledge and partnership.