The annual quantity of water per capita in Türkiye has approached 1,000 cubic meters, which is the water shortage restrict. The present scenario has positioned the nation below the “countries under high water stress” class.
With the dearth of precipitation in Türkiye in current months and the lower within the water occupancy charges in dams, the chance of drought has as soon as once more been dropped at the nation’s agenda.
Yıldız Technical University Environmental Engineering Department lecturer professor Mehmet Çakmakcı acknowledged that “according to a study conducted by the World Resources Institute on the listing of countries under water stress, Türkiye is seen as a country under high water stress, and this continues to increase. While the annual amount of water per capita is approaching 1,000 cubic meters, this is the boundary of water scarcity. Since it does not exist, we must construct the current cycle well. If we don’t build it well, we will face problems.”
Since the start of the 12 months, precipitation has been a lot decrease than in earlier years, and a few dams have fully dried out. “Since 2015, we have seen a continuous decrease in rainfall, an alarming situation for a country to face a severe drought,” he mentioned.
Giving Bursa for instance, Çakmakcı mentioned: “We see that there is no water left in the Nilüfer Dam and that there is around 38% water left in the Doğancı Dam. At the same time, the dams in Istanbul have reached the 35% level. Therefore, our priority should be to meet drinking water necessities.”
Appealing for pressing measures, Çakmakcı mentioned: “Türkiye is the first among the Mediterranean countries that will be most affected by global warming. The constantly increasing temperatures and severely decreasing precipitation will not let any country escape from the disasters caused by global warming. Still, one of the countries that will be affected the most is Türkiye.”
Emphasizing the seriousness of the scenario from drought maps, Çakmakcı mentioned: “When we look at the drought maps of 2000, 2010, 2021 and 2023, we can see that the risky dark red areas have turned black. According to Turkish State Meteorological Service data, a large region starting from Mersin, including Konya, Ankara, Balıkesir, and the Marmara Region, a densely populated area, is described as an exceptionally dry.”
Water cycle
Çakmakcı warned that “immediate actions must be taken” and drew consideration to the “water cycle” emphasizing that even the landscaping areas in cities ought to be deliberate consistent with these measures from the water utilized in agricultural irrigation.
“We use approximately 72% of the water in agricultural irrigation. Therefore, we urgently need to ensure that products with lower water consumption” are used he mentioned.
Regarding altering irrigation strategies he mentioned: “If there is no agricultural production, we will have problems in the food supply. This will have severe economic effects. In addition, most of our provinces, with drinking and utility water facilities and landscapes in cities, are irrigated. Hence, landscape plants with low water consumption should be preferred. For example, grass is greenery that requires a high amount of water. Instead, it would be more appropriate to create landscapes that require less water and have a visual appearance, but are easier to maintain.”
“As a precaution, gray water is also a significant source of water. Therefore, we must purify these gray waters at an advanced level and send them to second or third use. These are all the preventive measures that will contribute to the water cycle in our country. For example, in 2001, we had 274 dams, but today we have 968. It is a phenomenon that shows how much we have increased the 968 dams and water storage structures. Therefore, we need measures and awareness to save our country from water scarcity,” he urged.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
