Dursun Yildiz

Torrential rains witnessed lately have brought a sigh of relief for Istanbul, whose dams were at the risk of drying up due to the scorching heat during summer fueled by the El Nino phenomenon, as the filling rates in Istanbul dams are on the rise.

The new Mardin-Ceylanpınar Irrigation Canal, which carries water from the Atatürk Dam in Şanlıurfa to Mardin in southeastern Türkiye, has brought water to agricultural land equivalent to the size of 70,000 football fields.

Within the scope of the Southeastern Anatolian Project (GAP), a multi-sector integrated regional development project, the canal was completed and put into service.

Türkiye is experiencing the driest winter in 22 years and a water crisis is looming in the summer, according to experts.

Even though March 22 is known as World Water Day, many parts of Türkiye are experiencing extraordinary drought. With the decrease in winter precipitation, dams have started to dry up.

Decisions in recent days to restrict water use in major cities show that the threat of drought is becoming more widespread. With water losses in cities reaching 60 percent and the drought set to become a more prominent topic of conversation after May, experts say the focus should be on what needs to be done as soon as possible, rather than how full reservoirs are.

If the expected rainfall does not occur in the coming period in Istanbul, where the water reserves rate in the dams have decreased to 30 percent, water can be brought from Sakarya River in the northwestern province, while some experts have pointed out heavy metal pollution in the river.

As the water level in the dams that meet the water need of Istanbul has decreased to 32 percent, the experts have pointed out the use of the cloud seeding method, also known as rain bomb, to combat drought.

The drought experienced in the autumn period has continued since the beginning of the winter, while the risk of water scarcity became one of the most urgent problems in Istanbul.

Groundwater sources in Turkey are burdened and critically decreasing due to faulty agricultural practices, unplanned cities and uncontrolled population, according to a water report.

The report was prepared by the Water Policies Association, using the data of the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry.

An aerial picture taken by a drone shows Guzelce aqueduct on the part of the Alibeykoy dam in Istanbul, Turkey, 10 December 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

The levels are at their lowest in 10 years, with reservoirs in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bursa - Turkey's four biggest cities - only 24 per cent, 23 per cent, 36 per cent and 24 per cent full respectively.