Drought

Lack of rainfall and excessive use of underground water in the past year has triggered drought alert for the Konya Plain, which is at the heart of the country's agriculture capital, raising concerns over the production of future crops.

Drought caused by climate change and the decrease in precipitation have affected the basin of Lake Van, the water sources, agriculture and animal husbandry in the region, experts have warned.

"Heat rose, while precipitation decreased in the last decade," Faruk Alaeddinoğlu, a professor from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, told state-run Anadolu Agency.

The severity and spatial impact of drought on Turkey will increase and the country will face a more intense drought cycle within 100 years, according to a report submitted to the Climate Research Commission of the Turkish Parliament.

Water is at the core of our existence. From an agriculture perspective, water is the essence of the food we grow. The world's food systems depend on the planet's water systems. Many global challenges, however, are threatening the sustainability of our water resources leading to water stress and scarcity and therefore impeding our efforts to attain food security.

Turkey is heading toward farming season under a severe threat of drought, a water report has revealed, noting a 50 percent decrease in the rate of precipitation across the country in April.

"There was 90 percent decline in rainfalls in the Southeastern Anatolia region and some 76 percent decline in Eastern Anatolia in April," said a report published by Water Policy Association.

Istanbul's weather will dramatically change and residents will have to brave scorching heat in the summers, an Istanbul Technical University academic has warned.

"Istanbul will become very hot in the summers, making it unbearably hot for citizens, and floods will occur," Sevinç Asilhan told Demirören News Agency on April 22.

In recent months, China has stepped up its attempts to gain control over the weather, mainly aiming to be able to cause rain in drought-stricken areas.

Located in Central Anatolia and once known as Turkey's grain warehouse, the Konya Closed Basin is fighting drought due to improper irrigation activities and uncontrolled agriculture.

Çıralı Sinkhole, one of the most important natural formations in the region with an area of nearly 17,500 square meters, has also dried up after weeks without rain.

A rainwater collection system will be installed in new buildings in Turkey as the country faces water shortages after recording several years of rainfalls below seasonal averages.

Turkey began 2021 experiencing intense drought in a majority of its provinces, two maps published on Jan. 19 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) showed.

More than 80 percent of Turkey's soil is facing "severe drought," NASA's maps showed.