Drought in Turkey#2013–2014

Most of the climate of Turkey in the interior is a semi-arid climate and on the south and west coasts a Mediterranean climate which are characterized by summer drought. Turkey's climate is affected by the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO), the Mediterranean Circulation Index,{{Cite journal|last1=Topuz|first1=Muhammet|last2=Feidas|first2=Haralambos|last3=Karabulut|first3=Murat|date=2020|title=Trend analysis of precipitation data in Turkey and relations to atmospheric circulation: (1955–2013)|url=https://riviste.fupress.net/index.php/IJAm/article/view/887|journal=Italian Journal of Agrometeorology|language=en|issue=2|pages=91–107|doi=10.13128/ijam-887|issn=2038-5625}} and the Southern Oscillation Index.{{Cite journal|last=Harisuseno|first=Donny|date=1 October 2020|title=Meteorological Drought and its Relationship with Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)|url=https://civilejournal.org/index.php/cej/article/view/2410|journal=Civil Engineering Journal|language=en|volume=6|issue=10|pages=1864–1875|doi=10.28991/cej-2020-03091588|s2cid=222333797 |issn=2476-3055|doi-access=free}}

{{See also|Climate change in Turkey#Water resources}}

Due to climate change, extreme droughts and water scarcity are predicted to increase,{{Citation|last1=Gönençgil|first1=Barbaros|title=Turkey: Clımate Variability, Extreme Temperature, and Precipitation|date=2021|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49464-3_8|work=Geographies of Mediterranean Europe|pages=167–180|editor-last=Lois-González|editor-first=Rubén Camilo|series=Springer Geography|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-49464-3_8|isbn=978-3-030-49464-3|access-date=29 March 2021|last2=Acar|first2=Zahide|s2cid=230552459 }} for example in Ankara Province.{{Cite web|date=10 December 2020|title=Climate change impact assessment on mild and extreme drought events using copulas over Ankara, Turkey|url=https://www.metu.edu.tr/tr/yayin/climate-change-impact-assessment-mild-and-extreme-drought-events-using-copulas-over-ankara|access-date=29 March 2021|website=ODTÜ – Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi}}

{{See also|Aridity index|Geography of Turkey}}

Parts of the country are arid or becoming arid. Between 1931 and 2010 extreme drought occurred in 3% of the country, severe drought in 4% and moderate drought in 7%.{{Cite journal|last1=Dabanlı|first1=İsmail|last2=Mishra|first2=Ashok K.|last3=Şen|first3=Zekai|date=1 September 2017|title=Long-term spatio-temporal drought variability in Turkey|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169417305024|journal=Journal of Hydrology|volume=552|pages=779–792|doi=10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.07.038|issn=0022-1694}} The lowest precipitation in Turkey is around Lake Tuz{{Cite web|title=Lake Tuz Special Environmental Protection Area (SEPA)|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5824/|access-date=26 March 2021|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en}} at around 35 cm per year.{{Cite journal|last1=Aydin|first1=Fulya|last2=Erlat|first2=Ecmel|last3=Türkeş|first3=Murat|date=1 June 2020|title=Impact of climate variability on the surface of Lake Tuz (Turkey), 1985–2016|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-020-01656-z|journal=Regional Environmental Change|volume=20|issue=2|pages=68|doi=10.1007/s10113-020-01656-z|s2cid=219175790 |issn=1436-378X}}

A severe drought coincided with the collapse of the Hittte Empire around 1198–1196 BC.{{Cite journal |last1=Manning |first1=Sturt W. |last2=Kocik |first2=Cindy |last3=Lorentzen |first3=Brita |last4=Sparks |first4=Jed P. |date=February 2023 |title=Severe multi-year drought coincident with Hittite collapse around 1198–1196 bc |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05693-y |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=614 |issue=7949 |pages=719–724 |doi=10.1038/s41586-022-05693-y |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free |pmc=9946833 }} And more recently in 1804, 1876, 1928,{{Cite web|title=Droughts in Turkey|url=https://www.climatechangepost.com/turkey/droughts/|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Climatechangepost.com|language=en}} and often since the 1970s.{{Cite web|last=Kurnaz|first=Levent|date=April 2014|title=Drought in Turkey|url=https://ipc.sabanciuniv.edu/Content/Images/CKeditorImages/20200323-16034017.pdf}}

Between December 2006 and December 2008 there was significantly less winter and autumn precipitation. Hydrological, agricultural and socioeconomic droughts developed due to the meteorological drought. Loss of agricultural products, insufficiency of above ground and underground water, insufficiency and cuts in drinking water in big cities such as Ankara and Istanbul were observed. The drought mostly affected the Aegean, Marmara, Mediterranean and Central Anatolia regions. Drinking water was supplied from the Kızılırmak River to Ankara and from Melen Stream to Istanbul.

The 2012 Eastern and Central Anatolia drought combined with the summer drought of the Mediterranean Climate, was experienced as a moderate and severe drought in most of the country in 2013. The total amount of precipitation between 1 October 2013 and 17 January 2014 was about half of the same period in the previous year and 37% below the long-term average.

File:Turkey drought soil moisture.jpg

Precipitation was below average from mid-2019, and particularly the second half of 2020, and the drought mainly impacted agriculture in Turkey,{{Cite web|date=January 2021|title=Drought in Turkey|url=https://edo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/news/GDODroughtNews202102_Turkey.pdf|url-status=live|publisher=Global Drought Observatory (GDO) of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210142540/https://edo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/news/GDODroughtNews202102_Turkey.pdf |archive-date=10 February 2021 }} because big city reservoirs received rain before they ran out.{{Cite web|title=GDO Analytical Report: Drought in Turkey|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/turkey/gdo-analytical-report-drought-turkey-january-2021|date=January 2021|publisher=United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs}}

{{See also|Environmental issues in Turkey#Drought}}

More than 60% (51.5 mil. ha) of environmentally sensitive areas are fragile and critical.{{Cite journal|last1=Uzuner|first1=Çağlar|last2=Dengiz|first2=Orhan|date=1 July 2020|title=Desertification risk assessment in Turkey based on environmentally sensitive areas|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X20302326|journal=Ecological Indicators|language=en|volume=114|pages=106295|doi=10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106295|s2cid=216267688 |issn=1470-160X|doi-access=free}} Shrinking lakes may be due to reduced precipitation being part of climate change, and increased water use by agriculture.{{Cite news |title=Son 30 yılda Türkiye'nin büyük göllerinin yüzde 54'ü küçüldü |language=tr |work=BBC News Türkçe |url=https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-turkiye-65729417 |access-date=2023-05-30}}

Grain in Konya Province is affected{{Cite web|date=8 February 2021|title=Better irrigation saves water, energy in Turkish grain hub Konya|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/better-irrigation-saves-water-energy-in-turkish-grain-hub-konya/news|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Daily Sabah}} Almost three-quarters of the water supply is used for irrigation{{Cite web|title=Fresh water resources in Turkey|url=https://www.climatechangepost.com/turkey/fresh-water-resources/|access-date=30 March 2021|website=Climatechangepost.com|language=en}} and most water loss is due to poor irrigation,{{Cite web|title=Poor irrigation main cause of water loss, data shows – Turkey News|url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/poor-irrigation-main-cause-of-water-loss-data-shows-161461|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Hürriyet Daily News}} and more widespread use of drip irrigation has been suggested.

There are about 1500 cubic meters per person per year. Based to the Falkenmark Index, Turkey is ‘water stressed’ since it has 1,000-1,500 m³ of water potential per person per year.{{Cite web |title=Water Use in Turkey |url=https://water.fanack.com/turkey/water-use-in-turkey/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Fanack Water |language=en-US}} Precipitation can be measured by satellite.{{Cite journal|last1=Aksu|first1=Hakan|last2=Akgül|first2=Mehmet Ali|date=1 October 2020|title=Performance evaluation of CHIRPS satellite precipitation estimates over Turkey|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-020-03301-5|journal=Theoretical and Applied Climatology|language=en|volume=142|issue=1|pages=71–84|doi=10.1007/s00704-020-03301-5|s2cid=220062259 |issn=1434-4483}}

Hydroelectricity in Turkey is reduced by climate change.{{Cite journal|title=Impacts of climate change and distribution of precipitation on hydroelectric power generation in Turkey|url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/1032/1/012043/meta|access-date=29 March 2021|journal=IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering|year=2021 |doi=10.1088/1757-899x/1032/1/012043|last1=Bulut |first1=U. |last2=Sakalli |first2=A. |volume=1032 |page=012043 |s2cid=234299802 |doi-access=free }} According to the Water Policy Association half of water intended for taps is lost to leaks.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-27|title=Is Turkey a water-hoarding bogeyman or yet another nation struggling with water scarcity?|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/is-turkey-a-water-hoarding-bogeyman-or-yet-another-nation-struggling-with-water-scarcity-1.1230551|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The National}} According to TEMA 4 million tons a day are consumed for coal mining.{{Cite web|last=Agency|first=Anadolu|date=2021-11-03|title=Coal mining key contributor to water crisis: Turkish NGO|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/coal-mining-key-contributor-to-water-crisis-turkish-ngo/news|access-date=2021-11-12|website=Daily Sabah|language=en-US}} The 2023 drought caused power cuts and increased electricity and gas prices.{{Cite web |last=Garcia |first=Lucia |date=2023-08-08 |title=Global hydropower generation to fall in 2023 |url=https://www.eiu.com/n/global-hydropower-generation-to-fall-in-2023/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Economist Intelligence Unit |language=en-GB}}

Officially sanctioned methods to combat drought include better protecting river basins,{{Cite web|title=Strategy and Action Plans|url=https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/SYGM/Links/11/Strategy-And-Action-Plans|access-date=30 March 2021|website=www.tarimorman.gov.tr}} building underground dams,{{Cite web|last=Ateş|first=Hazal|date=14 December 2020|title=Turkey's action plan to fight drought focuses on saving water sources|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/turkeys-action-plan-to-fight-drought-focuses-on-saving-water-sources/news|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Daily Sabah|language=en-US}} rainwater harvesting, use of grey water{{Cite web|date=20 January 2021|title=Rain harvesting, gray water can solve Turkey's drought: Expert|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/istanbul/rain-harvesting-gray-water-can-solve-turkeys-drought-expert|access-date=29 March 2021|website=Daily Sabah}} and praying for rain.{{Cite news|date=13 January 2021|title=Turkey drought: Istanbul could run out of water in 45 days|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/13/turkey-drought-istanbul-run-out-water-45-days|access-date=29 March 2021|newspaper=The Guardian}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Cite web|title=Kuraklık Analizi|trans-title=Drought Analysis|url=https://mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/kuraklik-analizi.aspx|language=tr|website=Turkish State Meteorological Service}}

• {{Cite journal|date=2020|editor-last=Harmancioglu|editor-first=Nilgun B.|editor2-last=Altinbilek|editor2-first=Dogan|title=Water Resources of Turkey|url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-11729-0|journal=World Water Resources|volume=2 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-11729-0|isbn=978-3-030-11728-3 |s2cid=199491282 |issn=2509-7385}}

Category:Droughts in Asia

Category:Droughts in Europe

Category:Natural disasters in Turkey

Category:Climate change in Turkey