Turkey’s major cities face water shortage due to heat and drought

Because of heat and drought, the water supply in Turkey’s major cities like Ankara and Istanbul has dropped sharply.

In Istanbul, the water level in dams fell from 54.9% last year to 48.1% this August. This means the city, Turkey’s largest, has only about four months of drinking water left, according to the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works.

The situation is worse in Ankara. Dam levels there dropped from 32.8% last year to just 9.3% this year, leaving only about three months of drinking water supply for the capital.

In Izmir, dam levels decreased from 13.2% to 4.1%, which means the city has water for only about two months.

By August 12, Turkey’s total active water storage in dams was 39.8 billion cubic meters, compared to 49.8 billion cubic meters at the same time last year.

This year, Turkey has faced extremely hot and dry summer conditions. In July, the country recorded its highest-ever temperature at 50.5°C. The heat and drought have also caused widespread wildfires in the southern and western regions, leading to deaths and forcing people to evacuate.