On Wednesday, many reports shed the light on the fierce case of drought that Turkey is suffering from currently. The major cities across Turkey are running out of water in the next few months, unlike Istanbul which is set to run out of water in only 45 days.
The main reason for such a crisis is the poor rainfall according to the Turkish chamber of chemical engineers. Moreover, Ankara mayor Mansur Yabas highlighted that the city had another 110 days’ worth in dams and reservoirs according to The Guardian.
On the other hand, water levels in Istanbul’s Omerli dam are at their lowest in the last 15 years.
The other Turkish major cities such as İzmir and Bursa are suffering as the capacity of the dams are only 36% and 24%. Also, Wheat farmers in Konya and Edrine are warning of crop failure.
In the same context, Sevinç Asilhan, Istanbul Technical University staff member, touched upon the impact of climate change on Turkey’s climate as the country’s reduction in the number of forests and green areas has made the drought more severe, asserting, “Natural environment, green areas and forests should be protected and afforestation should be done for sustainable water resources,” according to the Daily Mail.
On the other hand, Dr Akgün İlhan, Water Management Expert told the Guardian, “Instead of focusing on measures to keep water demand under control, Turkey insists on expanding its water supply through building more dams.”
She added, “Turkey has built hundreds of dams in the last two decades. The warning signs have been there for decades but not much has been done in practice.”
Moreover, Dr Ümit Şahin to the Daily Mail, “In Istanbul, the most vital water basins, the last forests and agricultural land, [have been opened] to urban development projects: the new airport, the new Bosphorus bridge, its connection roads and highways.”
