Türkiye’s glaciers fall victim to climate change faster than expected

HAKKARİ- Agence France-Presse

The glaciers in the eastern province of Hakkari have lost nearly 50 percent of their volume over the past 40 years, falling victim to the climate crisis and global warming at a faster rate than expected, an expert has said.

The glaciers of Mount Cilo, which rises to 4,135 meters in the province of Hakkari, are the second largest in the country behind those of Mount Ağrı (5,137 meters), 250 kilometers (155 miles) further north.

"The melting process is faster than we expected. According to our research, in the last 40 years, we lost almost 50 percent of this continuous snow and ice cover in this place," said Onur Şatır, a professor at Yüzüncü Yıl University and specialist in geographical information systems in the eastern province of Van.

"Some places melt faster than other places, so actually it's showing us which places must be protected, but we have no opportunity to cover the whole ice area," Şatır said in an interview with AFP.

Kemal Özdemir, a mountain guide for 15 years, turned toward the torrent carrying dozens of blocks of ice below a slope covered with grass and rocks, a sign of glacier loss being exacerbated by global warming.

"You can see that there are quite a few pieces of glacier in the water right now... the reason why the waterfalls flow lushly actually shows us how fast the ice is melting," he said.

Melting ice has made certain areas dangerous. In July 2023, two hikers were killed when they were swept away by a block that broke off from a glacier.

"People should not walk on the ice," Özdemir warned, voicing concerns about the safety of hikers and the preservation of glaciers.

"This region is 40-50 kilometers away from the city, but there was no road in the past. Now, with the construction of the road, more vehicles are coming here and the increase in the number of people coming here actually accelerates the melting a little bit," the 38-year-old guide said.

A U.N. report on desertification worldwide estimates that 88 percent of Türkiye’s territory is at risk.