Next crisis: Water shortage is growing
Wrong water policies, unplanned urbanisation, mining activities and the climate crisis have pushed Turkey into water scarcity. As reservoirs run dry one after another, the government’s failure to produce solutions has drawn criticism.
The water crisis in the country has deepened. While reservoirs in many cities have dropped to critical levels, the Küçükler Dam in Uşak has completely dried up.
Reservoir levels in İzmir, Ankara, Konya and Tekirdağ have also reached alarming lows, and the government’s silence in the face of this major crisis has not gone unnoticed.
In cities where water cuts have hit daily life, citizens have been left helpless.
Across many cities in Turkey, water resources continue to run out. In Ankara, reservoir levels have fallen to as low as 8.16 percent, while in İzmir, four major reservoirs have dropped below 10 percent. In Konya, Altınapa Dam is at 9 percent and Bağbaşı Dam at 15 percent. The situation is no different in other cities: 18 percent in Bursa, just 1 percent in Tekirdağ. The Hamzabey Dam in Elazığ has completely dried up. In İstanbul, reservoir levels have fallen to 43.24 percent.
UŞAK’S WATER CRISIS DEEPENS
In Uşak the situation has become even more dire. The Küçükler Dam, which supplies the city’s drinking water, has run completely dry. With storage tanks supplied only by wells, citywide water cuts have begun. Uşak Municipality can provide water to the city only between 16:00 and 22:00.
WRONG WATER POLICIES AND CLIMATE CRISIS
This picture shows how vital it is that water be managed as a state policy and used for the public good. Yet it is not only climate change and environmental destruction but also human activities that have deepened this crisis. In areas where quarrying and gold mining are concentrated, nature and water resources have been severely damaged. Cyanide-based mining has polluted water, creating environmental disaster, while deforestation has made it impossible to restore water to its natural cycle. These activities have led to pollution of water and rapid drops in reservoir levels.
Many cities in Turkey are facing drought and water cuts. Responsibility lies with both local administrations and central government. Yet, as in other major crises, the government has again remained silent. While concrete steps are needed for proper water management, the government’s failure to put forward an effective solution has sparked reaction.
Speaking to BirGün, Water Association President Dursun Yıldız said, “At the root of the issue lies a departure from planning. The main problem is not the climate crisis but fragility and failures in water management. Water resilience has not been built against climate change. Weak legal frameworks, low institutional capacity and lack of planning deepen this picture. Today, 17 major cities lack a water management master plan. Municipalities are not receiving sufficient support from the government for resilient water management. Not only is there no strong budget for investments, but existing resources are also not planned properly. When combined with the impact of the climate crisis, the water problem becomes even more severe.”
THE COUNTRY WILL FACE MUCH HEAVIER COSTS
Yıldız added: “What is being done now is merely crisis management. Drawing groundwater or taking temporary restriction decisions is no solution. Water management must be carried out with long-term policies that build resilience. Imposing water restrictions in some provinces today is not a management model but a sign of desperation. At this point both central government and municipalities bear responsibility. The continuation of this risk means a major threat. Regions experiencing drought are entering the next water year with empty reservoirs. If the following year is also dry, the country will face much heavier costs.”
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Susuzluk artıyor, published in BirGün newspaper on August 25, 2025.
