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August 2026…
Dams are full, but the water risk persists: Professor Dr. Kadıoğlu warns!
Dams are full, but Türkiye’s water risk has not disappeared. While a 75.4 percent increase in rainfall compared to last year and an active water level of 68.9 percent has created the perception that “the drought is over,” Professor Dr. Mikdat Kadıoğlu stated, “A single year of good water does not change the climate trend. As long as incorrect urbanization, water consumption and agriculture unsuitable for the basin continue, the risk to water security persists.”
ANKARA – Dams are full, but Türkiye’s water risk has not disappeared. While a 75.4 percent increase in rainfall compared to last year and an active water level of 68.9 percent has created the perception that “the drought is over,” Prof. Dr. Mikdat Kadıoğlu stated, “A single year of good water does not change the climate trend. As long as incorrect urbanization, water consumption, and agricultural production unsuitable for the basin continue, the risk to water security persists.”
According to data from the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), rainfall across the country soared by 75.4 percent compared to the same period last year and by 29 percent compared to the long-term average. The active reservoir capacity rose from 41.1 percent to 68.9 percent and the active water volume increased from 38.9 billion cubic metres to 65.2 billion cubic metres.
Professor Dr. Mikdat Kadıoğlu, a faculty member at the Department of Climate Science and Meteorology Engineering at Istanbul Technical University, commented on the data, stating that while the increase is positive, a single increase in rainfall and reservoir capacity in a single water year does not necessarily mean the end of drought.
Underlining that the current rainy season is an important opportunity for Türkiye, but it will not provide a lasting solution unless structural measures are taken, he added, “The rains of this water year are a time interval given to us, not a solution. If we do not use this time for structural measures, the next drought year will find us exactly where we were last year.”
