Water scarcity

So what if the headlines of expert studies, newspapers and websites shout out, "We are running out of water"? So what if rainfall has decreased by half? The increase in consumption - and especially in the overburdened summer months when tourism is at its peak - continues to drain our reservoirs. The problem is not restricted to Greece either.

In a bid to better manage Türkiye's water resources, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has initiated a project to create digital atlases mapping a total of 270 stagnant water bodies, including dams and artificial ponds currently being constructed.

These water resources will be digitized in a geographic information system (GIS) center.

Due to severe water shortages, the municipality of Pavlikeni in Bulgaria is on the verge of declaring a partial state of emergency. According to a report from BNR, half of the villages in the municipality are currently under water restrictions, with more expected to follow suit as summer progresses. The primary cause of this crisis is the depletion of local water sources.

Türkiye is faced with the danger of losing some 20 percent of its water resources by 2030, which will pose a significant risk to its food supply, according to a study by the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.

The report studied how climate change would affect the country's underground and surface water resources by 2100.

Dutch post-disaster advisers support the idea of diverting River Acheloos in Epirus as "the most sustainable solution" to alleviate the water scarcity problem that is threatening agricultural production in the Thessaly region of central Greece.

The National Water Council held its inaugural meeting to address the pressing issue of depleting water resources, with Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı underscoring the widespread misconception of water as an unlimited global resource.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has refuted the notion of water as an unlimited resource, emphasizing that Türkiye "does not have a drop of water to waste," in an event held in the capital Ankara.

In pursuit of the effective management and utilization of water resources, a National Water Board has been established under the leadership of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.

In an effort to solve Istanbul's ongoing water problems, officials are eyeing the Mutlu River, which originates near the Bulgarian border.

With increasing population, climate change and drought increasing the pressure on water resources, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has started an initiative to establish a fund to be utilized in water-saving practices.