SAEDNEWS: Drought and climate change-driven rainfall shortages have pushed Turkey’s reservoirs, lakes, and rivers to critical lows, leaving major cities’ water supplies perilously below safe thresholds.
A prolonged decline in rainfall and ongoing drought in recent years have severely impacted Turkey’s water resources, placing many regions across the country on high alert.
With rivers running low and lakes shrinking, experts have urged citizens to conserve water, while local authorities have implemented precautionary measures to manage the situation.
In Istanbul, the reservoirs supplying water to 15 million residents have dropped from 45.79% capacity on September 1 last year to 39.98%. In Ankara, the volume of water in reservoirs has fallen from 606.95 million cubic meters on August 31, 2024, to 291.32 million cubic meters, with water levels plunging from 38.28% to 18.38%.
In İzmir, reservoirs continue to decline due to persistent drought and reduced rainfall. The Tahtalı reservoir, which supplies most of the city’s drinking water, has fallen to 5.67%, while Alaçatı Kotlu Aktaş is at 0.64%, Örkemz at 6.28%, Balçova at 16.14%, and Güzelhisar at 53.2%. Meanwhile, the Gördəs reservoir has completely dried up.
In Bodrum and Muğla, water levels in the Geik and Momcular reservoirs have also fallen. Experts warn that without rainfall this autumn, water shortages will be unavoidable.
In the Konya plain, Turkey’s “breadbasket,” reservoir levels have hit crisis point. The Altınapa reservoir, which provides drinking water for Konya, has dropped to just 3 million cubic meters.
Professor Fethullah Arık from Konya Technical University noted that the city has experienced one of its driest summers in 30–35 years. He added that the Afşar and Bağbaşı reservoirs were below expected capacity, with Bağbaşı experiencing a particularly sharp drop.
Arık also highlighted the ecological impact: “Drought-stricken areas are causing birds to lose their natural habitats. We are seeing severely dried lakes, including Akşehir, Çavuşçu, and Meki, while our reservoirs face serious challenges.”
In Adana, where temperatures have exceeded seasonal norms, five out of seven reservoirs used for drinking and irrigation water have dropped significantly, while two experienced slight increases. In Hatay, the Karachay reservoir supplying Antakya, Defne, and Samandağ fell to 10% capacity.
In Bolu, the Gölköy reservoir, which provides drinking and utility water, had reached 100% capacity in spring due to snowmelt. However, heat, reduced rainfall, and agricultural use have dropped levels to roughly 25%, exposing areas of land and forming visible islands.
Eastern Turkey’s Van province reservoirs—including Zernik, Sarımehmet, Koçköprü, and Morgedik—are also seeing critical declines. Nihat Yılmaz, a fisheries engineer working at a trout farm in Zernik reservoir, warned that if the situation continues, mass die-offs of fish and other aquatic life could occur, as happened in 2021 and 2022.
In Sivas, the Posat Özen reservoir supporting the city’s water network failed to reach expected levels despite heavy spring snow and rain. Falling water levels have revealed the old village of Posat, now accessible entirely by foot.
Dr. Fatih Kartal from Cumhuriyet University in Sivas emphasized that irrigation has severely impacted reservoirs, calling for a major reevaluation of agricultural policies in this semi-arid region.
Bursa, historically called the “City of Water” by Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi, has seen average reservoir levels drop to 9.4%. The Doğancı and Nilüfer reservoirs, which supply water to 3.27 million residents, have been severely affected.
In Tekirdağ’s Süleymanpaşa district, the Nayip reservoir, which provides drinking water, has fallen below 1%, prompting the local water authority to urge residents to save water. The Yazır pond, used for agricultural irrigation, is also on the verge of drying out.
