Tourism hub grapples with water crisis ahead of tourist season

MUĞLA

A scientist has warned that the water level in the dams of Bodrum, a touristic district in the western province of Muğla, reached an alarming capacity of 16% due to rainfall shortages and rising temperatures.

While the water level in Geyik and Akgedik dams in Bodrum hovered around 60 percent, the water level in Mumcular Dam, which is used both for irrigation and drinking water, remained around 16 percent.

"By effectively managing the water in the dams that provide water to Bodrum, it is necessary to ensure the optimization of irrigation water, especially drinking water, and to inform our farmers about this issue and to ensure that they are prepared for the summer months and dry periods,” said Professor Dr. Ceyhun Özçelik, an expert of water resources.

Speaking about record-high temperatures in February in Türkiye, Özçelik emphasized the increasing impacts of climate change, stating, "We are experiencing crucial days for managing and controlling the effects of climate change. Similar conditions exist in our country. In February, we witnessed a February with an increase of approximately 3.4 degrees Celsius compared to seasonal norms, reaching 7.5 degrees Celsius."

He said that both the Geyik and Akgedik Dam have water levels of around 60 percent, which is quite good compared to last year, but the Mumcular Dam is alarmed.

Özçelik emphasized the importance of closely monitoring spring precipitation, as Mumcular Dam provides both drinking water and irrigation water.

Meanwhile, last year Bodrum's dams were closed due to critically low water levels and the town faced a serious water crisis.

In 2023, water was drawn from the bottom of dams, known as "dead volume,” to partially meet water demand.