The sharp drop in the level of water reserves in the Sazlıdere reservoir highlights the growing threat of drought facing Istanbul, where occupancy levels in its main dams have fallen to critical levels and experts are warning of supply problems if urgent action is not taken.
Aerial images taken by drone just four days ago over the Sazlıdere basin – which supplies more than 20% of the drinking water needs of the European side of Istanbul – show large areas that were once covered with water now completely dry, with deep cracks covering a now dry and cracked ground.
The current occupancy rate of the reservoir – with a total capacity of 91.6 million cubic metres – stands at only 16.44%, underlining the seriousness of the situation. Aerial images reveal the appearance of small islands in the central areas of the reservoir, while hundreds of square metres of land have dried up as the water level recedes.
Istanbul’s drinking water reserves are below 28%
Below-average rainfall due to persistent drought in Turkey continues to negatively affect Istanbul’s water resources: according to the latest data released by the Istanbul Water and Sewage Administration (İSKİ), the total occupancy of the city’s reservoirs has dropped to 27.63%.
Experts point out that water consumption will increase in the coming months and especially with the arrival of summer, so considering the dams situation and the drought, there is a serious risk to the water supply. Without sufficient and abundant rainfall in the coming months, there could be water cuts in Istanbul, where authorities are already asking citizens to save water, according to Turkish media reports.
According to the updated figures announced by İSKİ, as of 7 January 2026 most of Istanbul’s 10 reservoirs and water reserves were still in a critical situation. The Elmalı Reservoir is in the best situation with a filling level of 80.77% of its capacity, but it barely covers 0.8% of the Turkish metropolis’ supply needs; in contrast, the Ömerli Dam – which provides 27% of Istanbul’s water reserves – is at 40.51%. The situation of the city’s 10 main water reserves is shown below.
| Reservoir | % of Istanbul’s water reserves | Current situation (%) |
| Ömerli | 27% | 40.51% |
| Terkos | 18% | 16.69% |
| Büyükçekmece | 17% | 18.77% |
| Darlık | 12% | 46.68% |
| Sazlıdere | 10% | 16.44% |
| Pabuçdere | 7% | 7.43% |
| Alibey | 4% | 22.37% |
| Kazandere | 2% | 4.03% |
| Istrancalar | 1% | 39.31% |
| Elmalı | 0,8% | 80.77% |
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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