As 2021 begins, most of Turkey is experiencing severe drought. Numerous reservoirs around Istanbul—the country’s most populous city (15 million)—have reached their lowest water storage levels in 15 years. Crop production could be threatened if conditions persist.
"Last year the level of water in dams in Istanbul was twice what it is now, so it wasn't that bad. Now we are in the second year and experiencing rougher droughts," Dr Akgün İlhan, a water management expert said. .
Ankara's mayor said earlier this month that the capital only had another 110 days’ worth of water left in dams and reservoirs.
Istanbul has been warned it has less than 45 days of water left due to poor rainfall in the second half of last year. Other cities across the country are also struggling with dams and reservoirs below 40 per cent full. Elsewhere farmers in wheat-producing areas fear their crop will fail.
In the Konya Plain, farmers experienced about 38 percent less precipitation from July to December 2020 than the same time in 2019.
The lack of rainfall in the past six months has dramatically reduced grain harvests and triggered drought alerts for farmers, leaving uncertainty for future crop production.
As parts of Western Turkey battle against recent heavy rain and flooding, the country is facing its most severe drought in a decade.
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