Türkiye debates alternative methods to fight drought

ISTANBUL

With Türkiye facing shrinking reservoirs and a looming water crisis, experts are investigating innovative solutions like cloud seeding, rainwater harvesting and desalination to address the growing threat of drought.

In recent months, water levels have plummeted to historic lows in several provinces, prompting authorities to introduce planned water cuts to manage the crisis.

According to meteorologist Professor Orhan Şen, Türkiye has reached the stage of hydrological drought.

“Bursa is at zero, İzmir at 2 percent, Istanbul at 25 percent and Ankara at 16 percent,” he told daily Milliyet, warning that agricultural drought may follow soon.

Şen emphasized that rainwater harvesting and reducing water loss should be priorities.

“About 20 percent of the water gets lost in city pipelines. These leaks must be fixed, and agriculture should switch from flood irrigation to drip systems,” he said.

The expert noted that while cloud seeding is not a permanent solution, it can increase rainfall by up to 30 percent when applied correctly.

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that involves dispersing substances into clouds to encourage rainfall.

“If done properly, it takes about 20 minutes for the seeded cloud to produce rain and the effect lasts for around an hour,” he explained.

Cloud seeding has been tested in Türkiye before.

“We did it before the reservoir dried up in İzmir in 1993, and it was a huge success — the dam overflowed,” Şen said, adding that over 50 countries use the method.

He also listed additional measures to address drought: Collecting rooftop rainwater for garden use, filling swimming pools with seawater, prioritizing low-water crops and creating “sponge cities” that allow rain to seep into the ground and recharge aquifers.

Climate action plans for all cities underway

Amid growing climate risks, Türkiye is preparing local climate change action plans for all 81 provinces, with water management at the core.

Coordinated by the Environment Ministry, the initiative will tailor actions to each province’s geographic, ecological and economic conditions.

The first pilot provinces are Isparta, Antalya, Kastamonu, Ordu, Elazığ and Kahramanmaraş.

The plans aim to help municipalities assess local risks, from droughts to floods, using climate projections extending to 2100.