Middle East Technical University (METU) manages a 2,875-hectare protected forest and broad campus landscape designed specifically to minimize irrigation requirements. Located in the semi-arid Central Anatolian steppe with low annual precipitation (320–350 mm), METU pioneered the "non-irrigated plantation" (susuz plantasyon) technique, deploying drought-tolerant flora, water-retaining terracing, and organic mulching to eliminate reliance on artificial water supplies.

1. Drought-Tolerant Species Selection & Xeriscaping Standards

Drought-Resistant Flora Deployment: METU selects native, drought-hardy species resilient to continental climate conditions, minimizing or removing the need for routine irrigation:

Herbaceous & Groundcover: Agropyron cristatum, Dactylis glomerata, Poterium sanguisorba, Onobrychis sativa, Stipa sp., Festuca ovina, Astragalus sp., and Bromus erectus.

Drought-Tolerant Shrubs & Trees: Rosa canina, Rosa sulfurea, Amygdalus webbii (Kara badem), Paliurus aculeatus, Juniperus sabina, Capparis sicula, Quercus robur, Prunus mahaleb, Pyrus eleagrifolia (Ahlat), Eleagnus sp. (İğde), Crataegus monogyna (Alıç), Fraxinus excelsior, and Pinus nigra.

2. Water-Conservation Techniques & Soil Moisture Protection

Water-Retaining Terracing (Banket/Gradoni): Sloped areas are structured with contour line terraces (1/2, 1/3, 1/4 gradients) designed to capture winter rain runoff, reduce surface run-off, prevent soil erosion, and store ground moisture organically without supplementary irrigation.

Organic Wood-Chip Mulching: Pruned pine branches and plant residues are processed on-site using brush chippers into wood-chip mulch. This mulch is applied over campus soils to reduce surface evaporation, suppress weeds, retain moisture, and enhance organic matter.

Institutional Governance: Forest maintenance and landscape preservation follow the METU Forest Functional Forest Management Plan (enforced through 2026 with the Ankara Regional Directorate of Forestry) and Aga Khan Award-winning ecological restoration standards.

https://acdm.metu.edu.tr/tr/orman-bakim-ve-agaclandirma-calismalari