Wetlands 1.5 times size of Marmara Sea disappeared’

ANTALYA

Almost all essential wetlands in Türkiye have experienced dramatic loss, while the area of wetlands that disappeared in the last 60 years has reached 2 million hectares, approximately one and a half times the size of the Marmara Sea, says a report by the Nature Association.

The report noted that the effects of drought in the country continue to rise, adding that Anatolia’s wetlands have been destroyed by incorrect water and agricultural policies for half a century.

According to the National Water Plan data, 74 percent of water resources are used for agricultural irrigation, 13 percent for drinking and other uses, and 13 percent for industry.

The first change should start with agricultural policies in order to protect the water cycle, the report suggested.

“The right to existence of all wetland ecosystems in Anatolia should be constitutionally guaranteed,” said Burçin Yaraşlı, the wetlands coordinator of the association.

“According to the data, there are a total of 105 wetlands in Türkiye, and there are almost no wetlands in the country that are not endangered. The area of wetlands lost in the last 60 years has reached 2 million hectares, which corresponds to one and a half times the size of the Marmara Sea,” she explained.

More than one-third of threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, and nearly half use wetlands at some point in their lives, she added.

‘Alarm bells start to ring for Istanbul dams’

In the meantime, the water level in Istanbul dams remains low due to the lack of precipitation that should fall in winter, prominent meteorologist Orhan Şen said.

Even though the water rate of the dam increased to 49.3 percent compared to that in winter, Şen does not evaluate this figure as “good news.”

“When we looked at the water level in May last year, there was an occupancy rate of about 80 percent. That means we have a 30 percent loss compared to last year,” Şen said.

Reminding that May is the month when the highest level of dams is observed during the year, Şen stated that the dam water level is likely to decrease considerably during the summer.

“Evaporation losses are high in summer. It will decrease to 25 percent levels, and if we enter October with a level of 25 percent, alarm bells will ring,” he added.

“The rate of evaporation increases in summer. [Water level in dams] will decrease to 25 percent, and if we add October, a water level at 25 percent will ring alarm bells,” he added.