Beyşehir Lake faces alarming water recession amid climate strains, mismanagement

KONYA

Türkiye’s largest freshwater lake, Beyşehir Lake in the Central Anatolian region, is experiencing a dramatic decline in water levels, with some areas receding by as much as 300 meters from the shoreline.

In certain parts, the withdrawal has reached up to 1,500 meters, leaving vast tracts of land dry and inaccessible. What was once open water has now turned into stretches of pasture and marshland, dotted with newly formed islands.

“This lake has died. There is nothing more to say. Mall all of Türkiye be in mourning,” said Hasan Kurt, head of Beyşehir Fisheries Cooperative, standing on what used to be the lakebed.

“Where we stand now, the water level was once very high. Today, the shoreline is hundreds of meters away. We used to fish 300 meters back, now it is 1,500 meters. It’s endless walking, yet no water.”

Covering 656 square kilometers, Beyşehir Lake not only contributes to irrigating the Konya Plain through the Çarşamba Stream but also sustains the livelihood of more than 400 fishermen. Today, both fishing and boat tours have nearly ceased, while grazing animals roam the dried patches of land.

Kurt warned that the lake’s transformation into a swamp and pasture is catastrophic for local communities. “Fishing is over, agriculture is collapsing. The lake is only used as drinking water now, but that too won’t last more than a few months. We are bracing for the stench of rotting mud and dead fish in the near future,” he said.

Experts and locals blame both climate change and uncontrolled agricultural irrigation for the crisis. In addition, dams and reservoirs built for irrigation along the lake’s feeder streams have disrupted its natural inflow.

“We are not against building dams, but development should not destroy what already exists,” Kurt said. “Farmers could not water their sugar beets this year. Many had to plough their fields again. The losses are immense.”

Efforts to promote water-saving techniques such as drip irrigation have been met with resistance in the past.

“We told farmers, ‘Do not waste water, this lake belongs to all of us,’ but many dismissed our warnings, saying, ‘Why should we save it for four fishermen?’ Now, the lake is gone and everyone is suffering,” Kurt lamented.

The cooperative is urging urgent government action, calling for a project to divert water from the Akçay stream, 36 kilometers away, to replenish Beyşehir.

“If Akçay’s waters are brought here through a master plan and parliamentary approval, the lake could be saved,” Kurt said. “It is no longer just a local problem. It is Türkiye’s problem.”