Yusufeli Dam

Yusufeli Dam is a hydropower dam located on the Çoruh River in the Yusufeli district of Artvin, Türkiye. With a height of 275 metres from its foundation, it is the tallest dam in Türkiye and the fifth tallest double-curvature concrete arch dam in the world. Construction began in 2013 and reservoir filling commenced on 22 November 2022. The dam was implemented by Limak İnşaat and represents Türkiye’s national energy policy shift toward domestic and renewable energy sources.

^{Yusufeli Barajı} (Anadolu Ajansı)

The Yusufeli Dam is a double-curvature concrete arch dam with a height of 275 metres from its foundation, a total installed capacity of 558 megawatts, and an annual average electricity generation capacity of 1.888 billion kilowatt-hours, making it the tallest dam in Türkiye and the fifth tallest in the world. The dam has a storage capacity of approximately 2.13 billion cubic metres of water. During construction, 4 million cubic metres of dam body concrete and a total of 5.8 million cubic metres of concrete were used, along with approximately 70,000 tonnes of steel and iron structural materials.

During the construction process, the state’s social policy initiatives also gained significance. Policies were developed to ensure psychosocial support services, promote rural development and family farming, implement employment and education programs for youth, and safeguard social cohesion and cultural continuity.

As of 2023, the electricity generated by the dam has contributed more than 6.6 billion Turkish lira to Türkiye’s economy. The investment cost of the dam is expected to be amortized within approximately six years. Additionally, the Yusufeli Dam contributes to regulating water flow and improving efficiency of other hydropower projects in the Çoruh Basin, including Deriner, Borçka, and Muratlı.

Due to dam construction, the Yusufeli district center and three villages (Tekkale, Göcek, Meşecik) were completely submerged, while 14 other villages were partially flooded. A total of 16,172 people were affected by this process. Expropriation procedures were carried out under Law No. 2942 on Expropriation, offering citizens the choice between monetary compensation or state-provided housing. In the affected villages, 66% of homes, 85% of farmland, 85% of orchards, 60% of vineyards, and 57% of outbuildings such as barns were submerged under the reservoir. The Yusufeli district center has been relocated seven times throughout history.

As part of this final relocation, 2,698 residential units, 323 commercial premises, seven new village settlements, 110 kilometres of road, 46 tunnels, 23 bridges, and 92 culverts were constructed. Additionally, 5,844 fruit trees and 1.1 million cubic metres of fertile agricultural soil were relocated to new areas. In collaboration with the DSİ and OGM, 81,280 saplings were planted, and various greening projects were implemented in the new settlements to ensure environmental and social integration.

^{Yusufeli Barajı Yerleşkeleri} (Anadolu Ajansı)

The impacts of the Yusufeli Dam have been evident not only physically but also at social, economic, and cultural levels. New settlement areas were designed according to modern urban planning principles, creating disaster-resilient, more orderly, and infrastructure-enhanced neighborhoods equipped with modern drinking water systems, sewage networks, and transportation links. Home ownership saw many residents in rural areas, who previously lacked official land titles or property documents, gain formal legal rights to property and access to modern housing through state support.

A total of 2,698 residential units and 323 commercial premises were delivered to their rightful owners, and new settlement areas were established for seven rural villages. Traditional architectural elements were incorporated into the new designs to ensure cultural continuity. In terms of employment, the construction phase and new infrastructure investments increased labor demand in the region, generating economic activity for many local artisans and subcontracting firms. In particular, the Yusufeli business community experienced a period of economic vitality, even if temporary.

Relocation practices in other countries such as India (Hirakud, Krishna River), China (Shuikou, Yantan), and Thailand (Pak Mun) were studied, emphasizing that dam projects are not merely infrastructure investments but also processes of social reconstruction. Reports from the World Commission on Dams and the World Bank indicate that improving the socioeconomic conditions of relocated communities is a fundamental condition for the long-term success of such projects.