The scorching heat is about to melt Turkey’s last glaciers. The alarming ecological destruction is reflected in Cilo Mountain in Hakkari. While the glaciers on Cilo, Turkey’s second highest mountain, have been melting in both volume and size in recent years due to climate change, scientists say that the glaciers will disappear completely in the near future. According to field studies and remote sensing data conducted on the Cilo glacier, the glacier has lost 28 percent in the 15-year period, while a 100-meter retreat in length was detected.
NEVER WALK
As part of the Cilo Festival, which was held for the 6th time this year in the Cilo Mountains and Sat Glacier Lakes National Park, we had the chance to see the latest status of the glaciers firsthand, and we discussed the worrying landscape with scientists. Commenting on the latest picture in the ‘Cilo Glaciers’, ITU Eurasia Earth Sciences Institute Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Mehmet Akif Sarıkaya said, “Glaciers shape the climate around them. Cilo Mountain glaciers are one of the natural assets that must be protected. However, halay is danced on them. Last year, 2 people lost their lives in a glacier collapse. “The Cilo glaciers should not be a place to walk on. Besides, the real problem is the melting of the glaciers. We need to look at how we can get out of here with less damage.” he said.
80 PERCENT MELT
“We know that glaciers are melting in Turkey. There are observations about this,” said Prof. Dr. Sarıkaya, and provided the following information: “The first glacier photo of Turkey is from Cilo Mountain. It is a photo taken in the 1880s. If we look at the observations made based on that photo, there is a melting of 70-80 percent in the Cilo region, both in volume and dimension. The effect of this on us is the fact that we will gradually lose glaciers. “It won’t happen quickly, but in the next 50 years, these glaciers will disappear.”
THERE IS A WATER CRISIS
“There is a very serious melting in Antarctica. While this is happening all over the world, it is not possible for it to happen in our country. In terms of environmental impacts, glaciers are freshwater resources. “When glaciers melt, villages, plateaus and cities in the valley may also experience water problems. When resources are depleted, a water crisis occurs.”
OTHERS ARE ALSO MELTING
Istanbul University Geography Department Academic Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cihan Bayrakdar also drew attention to the extent of melting in Turkey’s glaciers, especially Cilo, and said, “While global warming triggers rapid melting in glaciers, Cilo Mountain is also affected by this. Moreover, a similar situation applies to the glaciers in the Eastern Black Sea Mountains, Munzur Mountains and Central Taurus Mountains. Some of the glaciers are at risk of disappearing completely. “The glaciers on Cilo Mountain are large-scale glaciers when we look at the rest of Türkiye. However, there is a serious shrinkage.” He used the expressions.
STREAMS CANNOT BE FEEDED
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bayrakdar, while touching upon the field studies, said, “In the last 15 years, 28 percent of the glacier area has melted, retreating 100 meters in length. With global warming increasingly taking effect in the coming years, the glacier is expected to disappear completely within an average of 50 years. B“The glaciers are the most important freshwater sources. The streams in the regions where summer is dry are fed by the melting water of these glaciers. Therefore, the Cilo glaciers are an important freshwater source.” he spoke.
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