Istanbul Water Reserves Thin Due To Drought

UNSPLASH/Bogomil ILLUSTRATION Mihaylov

JAKARTA - Istanbul City has faced its worst drought in 65 years, having experienced the dryest summer since meteorological records began, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Agency (TSMS).

Reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Thursday, October 16, the water reserves in the reservoir that supplies population needs in Turkey's largest city are expected to last only about two months if current conditions continue, according to news agency RIA Novosti estimates.

According to the Istanbul Water and Waste Management Agency (ISKI), the reservoir occupancy rate is now only 24.7 percent, or about 214.8 million cubic meters of the total capacity of 868 million cubic meters.

This figure is the lowest in a decade, except in 2023 when the water level in the reservoir fell by 21 percent in the same period.

With water consumption reaching 3.18 million cubic meters per day for a population of more than 16 million people in Istanbul, RIA Novosti estimates the water supply will run out in 67 days if dry conditions continue.

TSMS noted that this summer will not only be the dryest in Istanbul, but also in Izmir and 16 other provinces throughout Turkey.

Since April, the water level in Istanbul's reservoirs has continued to decline from the previous 80 percent. Of the 10 main reservoirs that supply water to the city, only one now has more than 25 percent occupancy, while the other four reservoirs are even below 2 percent.

Local authorities are calling on residents to conserve water, while weather forecasts say high-intensity rain will only fall on Sunday.