Water shortage crisis looms as drought worsens in Türkiye

Türkiye is facing a severe drought that is impacting water resources, shrinking reservoirs and unprecedented shortages affecting daily life, agriculture, and industry.

Officials are calling for urgent, sustainable water management and emergency actions.

Türkiye is dealing with an ongoing nationwide drought as new analysis from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites shows. 

Its findings show that soil moisture has dropped sharply nationwide this year also confirming  that rivers, reservoirs, and farmlands are drying fast. 

The Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM) provides interactive drought maps that show how much rainfall has occurred across Türkiye compared to long-term norms.

These maps highlight short- and long-term drought trends by region, helping with water and agricultural planning.

Experts are calling for immediate action and for deliberate steps to be taken to prevent the situation from getting worse.

Professor Şenol Hakan Kutoğlu of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University points to both agricultural and urban solutions which include shifting to less water-demanding crops, planting drought-resistant species, installing green roofs, and introducing rainwater collection systems to capture rainfall.

Nationwide active storage has fallen to 42%, forcing major cities onto alert.

In Istanbul, dam levels are 11% lower than last year, leaving less than 120 days of drinking water. Officials are already considering rotating cuts and restrictions.

Türkiye's capital, Ankara, is even more severe: reservoirs are 19% full, but with only 8.5% usable, experts warn Ankara may face a crisis before Istanbul.

In Izmir, the Tahtalı Dam has dropped under 7%; supply cuts have tightened from every five days to every three, while some neighborhoods are already without regular water. In Bursa, the Nilüfer Dam has completely dried up, while Doğancı Dam holds just over a month’s supply.

Officials stress that demand management, fixing leaks, lowering pressure at night, and urging the public to save water can buy time, but without urgent adaptation, Türkiye may face its harshest urban water crisis in decades.
 

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