Türkiye’s climate crisis hits hard: Devegecidi dam runs dry

In the summer of 2025, Devegecidi Dam—nestled in the heart of southeastern Türkiye—has collapsed to less than 30% of its total capacity, turning once-fertile irrigation zones and vital wildlife habitats into parched land.

The reservoir, constructed in 1972 to irrigate approximately 58,000 decares and support local biodiversity, now symbolizes the country’s cascading water crisis: relentless heat, scant rainfall and unrelenting agricultural demand are draining Türkiye’s water lifelines dry. Local farmers, bird species, and freshwater ecosystems are all stranded on the brink of collapse.

Aerial view of Devegeçidi Dam Lake in Diyarbakır, Türkiye, showing severe drought impacts on the habitat supporting diverse wildlife species, taken, July 1, 2025. (AA Photo)

Why reservoir’s decline hits so hard

• Water levels dropped from 65% to under 30% capacity, despite prior replenishment efforts using water transfers from upstream sources—a temporary relief that evaporated under continued drought conditions.
• This year’s rainfall in Marmara and Istanbul hit 99% below long-term averages, with Balikesir, Tekirdag, Edirne, and Istanbul among the affected regions suffering the driest June in 65 years.
• Türkiye recorded its hottest year in 2024, with average temperatures 1.7 degrees Celsius (35.06 degrees Fahrenheit) above the baseline, intensifying evaporation and accelerating reservoir depletion.
• March 2025 saw the lowest rainfall in 35 years, with precipitation in core agricultural zones like Central Anatolia falling by 59%, undermining spring recharge of dams.

Aerial view of Devegeçidi Dam Lake in Diyarbakır, Türkiye, showing severe drought impacts on the habitat supporting diverse wildlife species, taken, July 1, 2025. (AA Photo)

What’s driving this crisis now

• Extreme heatwaves are becoming routine: Istanbul hit just 0.5 millimeters of rain in June, while thermometer readings soared over 45–50 degrees Celsius in parts of Anatolia.
• Agriculture continues to consume over 70% of the national water supply, mainly through inefficient surface irrigation systems that waste up to 60% of water via seepage and evaporation.
• Drought has affected over half the country for more than two years, leaving ecosystems, farmers, and urban centers in a state of chronic water stress.

July 30, 2025 12:14 PM GMT+03:00