Drought map reveals Türkiye’s soil losing vital moisture

ZONGULDAK

Türkiye’s soil has lost significant moisture this year, according to the findings from a special software developed by Turkish scientists to map drought levels across the country using data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites.

By analyzing satellite images from May, June and the first 20 days of August, Professor Şenol Hakan Kutoğlu of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University and his team produced a comprehensive “drought map” showing that vegetation is under water stress, with some areas having lost their plant cover entirely.

“This year has been extremely poor in rainfall. The soil has lost its moisture, and we are facing a serious drought across Türkiye,” Kutoğlu said.

The maps show stark differences between months. Dark red zones often mark areas destroyed by wildfires, while white indicates regions unaffected by drought. Shades of pink, ranging from white to red, highlight solids and vegetation that have lost water content.

According to Kutoğlu, the impact is clearly visible in everyday life. “When rain falls and the soil absorbs water, plants feed by drawing water from the soil through their roots. When there is no rain, plants cannot draw enough water from the soil and experience what we call water stress. Leaves, branches, landscaping, and lawns dry out,” he explained.

He emphasized that solutions must be both agricultural and urban — shifting to less water-demanding crops, planting drought-resistant species in cities, adopting green roof systems and installing rainwater collection infrastructure.

Pointing to climate change as the driving force, Kutoğlu underlined the urgency to act now. “It appears humanity cannot reverse climate change. We must learn to live with it and take measures accordingly."