Drought action plan is essential, Türkiye is facing disaster

Water resources are rapidly depleting in Turkey, which is in the grip of drought due to global climate change. The lakes are in moribund state due to the lack of autumn rains. While 186 of the 240 lakes across the country have dried up in the last 30 years, the biggest problem is experienced in the Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, Aegean and Marmara basins. While the area of the main basin of Burdur Lake and the 5 lakes in its sub-basins has decreased by 51.1 percent in total in the last 36 years; The latest images reflected from Eğirdir Lake shed light on the gravity of the situation. Experts state that if the expected rains do not come, some lakes will dry up completely and turn into swamps as of November, and they also point out that wild irrigation methods and illegal drilling due to agricultural activities should be ended.

The picture in the lakes region is the most striking example of the drought and water scarcity. Dursun Yıldız said, “In addition to Ereğli and Hotamış Marshes, Seyfe, Tersakan and Eşmekaya, lakes Akşehir, Acıgöl, Beyşehir, Göl Marmara, Meke, and Yarislı are largely dried out. “The water level in the lakes of Burdur, Eber, Eğirdir and Seydişehir has dropped and receded from the shores,” he says.

ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION

Turkish Nature Conservation Association Scientific Advisor Dr. While Erol Kesici said at every opportunity that the depletion of resources, especially Eğirdir Lake, would lead to ecological destruction, he said, “The recent situation in the Burdur Lakes region is worrying. “Only Burdur Lake has decreased from 230 km² to 90 km² in the last 40 years.” he said.

WATER QUALITY IS DETERMINED

Expressing that there is a need for a radical change of thought in our water management, Dursun Yıldız, former director of DSI and President of the Water Policy Association, said: “Our water usage habits in all sectors must also change. Otherwise, we will experience very effective regional droughts and water and food security problems. Biodiversity was greatly damaged in the dried lakes. Because the habitat of living organisms such as plant and animal species, fish, amphibians, aquatic plants, plankton, bird species and endemic plants living in the lake is disappearing. “As the water level drops, water quality also deteriorates,” he said.

LAKES REGION DRIED UP

Stating that there is a need for an ecosystem-based integrated management approach at the scale of river basins, Yıldız listed the following warnings: “We must address and solve many issues affecting each other in the river basin with a multi-disciplinary approach. Our water use habits in all sectors must also change. Otherwise, very effective regional droughts and “We experience water and food security problems. In addition to the Lakes Region, the amount of water in Lake Mogan, Lake Manyas, Lake Tuz and Lake Sapanca is decreasing day by day. There is a pollution problem in Lake Van, which is the largest lake in Turkey.”

Drought action plan is a must, Türkiye is facing disaster - Picture: 2 — In the report published by the Global Water Economy Commission, views were listed as follows: “More than half of the world’s food production will be at risk by 2050 due to the deepening water crisis. Many cities are in danger of collapse due to the loss of groundwater.”

WHAT DO THE REPORTS SAY?

On the other hand, in the report titled “Our Water Management Problems in Natural Lakes and Wetlands and Solution Suggestions” prepared by the Water Policy Association, it is stated that for the situation of lakes in Turkey, “The main problems encountered in natural lakes and wetlands in our country are decreases in the amount of water, biodiversity is under threat and deterioration in water quality. Although there are 76 registered wetlands, only 24 of them have a wetland water management plan. “There is a need to complete water management plans of other wetlands in coordination with basin water management plan preparations.”

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