Turkey’s severe drought is threatening water supplies in two of the country’s three largest cities, Istanbul and Izmir. In the Turkish metropolis, home to a population of 16 million, water reserves fell last week to just 21% despite torrential rains in recent weeks, according to data provided by the Istanbul Water Management Office (İSKİ).
The situation is also worrying in Izmir, Turkey’s 3rd largest city, where the Tahtalı dam, which covers 40% of the city’s water needs, is at its lowest level in 14 years and is at less than 30% of its capacity, when a year ago at this time it was above 44%. “Our current reserves will last until June, even if it doesn’t rain, but we urge citizens to use water responsibly,” said Serhat Ural, head of the local water management agency.
In Istanbul, the situation caused by the long drought that Turkey has been suffering for at least a year is more than critical in some reservoirs that supply water to the city, such as Sazlıdere (6.14%), Kazandere (5.96%), Büyükçekmece (4.08%) or Pabuçdere (3.35%), all of them with water levels below 10%, which are considered critical for ecosystems and human health.
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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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