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Drought and declining rainfall linked to climate change have driven reservoir, lake and river levels in Türkiye to critical lows, with major cities reporting water reserves below safe thresholds.
The recent years’ rainfall deficit and drought have also impacted water resources, sending many regions across Türkiye on drought alert.
As rivers carry less water and lake levels fall, experts have urged citizens to use water sparingly, while local authorities have taken precautionary measures.
Istanbul’s reservoirs, supplying water to its 15 million inhabitants, saw their water levels drop to 39.98% from 45.79% on Sept. 1 last year. In Ankara, water volume at reservoirs has dropped to 291.32 million cubic meters from 606.95 million cubic meters on Aug. 31, 2024, as water levels dropped from 38.28% to 18.38%.
In Izmir, reservoirs are steadily losing water due to drought and reduced rainfall. At Tahtalı Reservoir, which supplies much of the city’s drinking water, the water level dropped to just 5.67%, while Alaçatı Kutlu Aktaş remains at 0.64%, Ürkmez at 6.28%, Balçova at 16.14% and Güzelhisar at 53.2%. Gördes Reservoir, on the other hand, has completely dried up.
In Bodrum, Muğla, water levels at Geyik and Mumcular reservoirs have also declined. Experts warned that water shortages will be inevitable if no rain arrives in autumn.
In the Konya Plain, known as Türkiye’s breadbasket, reservoir levels have reached critical points. At Altınapa Reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Konya, water volume fell to just 3 million cubic meters.
Professor Fetullah Arık of Konya Technical University said this year the city experienced one of its driest summers in the last 30-35 years. He added that Afşar, Bağbaşı and Bozkır reservoirs were also below expected capacities, with Bağbaşı experiencing a particularly sharp decline.
On the ecological impact, Arık said: “Dried-up areas have caused birds to lose their natural habitats. We are facing severely dried lakes, including Akşehir, Çavuşçu and Meke. Our reservoirs are also facing serious problems.”
In Adana, where temperatures have been above seasonal norms, five of seven reservoirs used for drinking water and irrigation showed significant drops, while two saw slight increases. In Hatay, Karaçay Reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Antakya, Defne and Samandağ, water levels fell to 10%.
Bolu’s Gölköy Reservoir, which supplies drinking and utility water, had reached 100% capacity in spring due to melting snow. Hot weather, reduced rainfall and agricultural use have reduced the water level to around 25%. Receding water has exposed areas of land, creating visible islets.
Reservoirs supplying the eastern province of Van, including Zernek, Sarımehmet, Koçköprü and Morgedik, also face declining water levels. Fisheries engineer Nihat Yılmaz, working at a trout farm in Zernek Reservoir, warned that if these conditions persist, the city may see mass death of fish and aquatic life due to oxygen depletion, similar to that of 2021-2022.
At Pusat Özen Reservoir in Sivas, which also supports the city’s water network, levels failed to reach expected levels despite heavy snowfall and spring rains. The receding water exposed the old Pusat village, making it fully accessible on foot.
Dr. Fatih Kartal of Sivas Cumhuriyet University said that irrigation has seriously affected reservoirs and called for significant revisions of agricultural policies in this semi-arid region.
Bursa, historically called a “city of water” by Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi, has seen reservoir levels fall to an average of 9.4%. Water levels at Doğancı and Nilüfer reservoirs, which supply the city’s 3.27 million residents, have sharply decreased.
In Tekirdağ’s Süleymanpaşa district, the Naip Reservoir, which supplies drinking water, dropped below 1%. The Tekirdağ Water and Sewerage Authority (TESKI) urged citizens to conserve water. The Yazır Pond, used for agricultural irrigation, is also on the verge of drying up.
