Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller, evaluating the increase in dam occupancy rates due to recent effective rainfall, stated that the increased dam occupancy rates with recent rains could create a deceptive sense of security, emphasizing that the risk of drought has not disappeared.
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller, stating that short-term rainfall is not sufficient for long-term water security, said, “Not only next summer or the summer after, but every summer month from now on, we may face the risk of drought. Furthermore, merely having water in our dams does not mean we are not experiencing drought.”
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller, Head of Environmental Health Program at Üsküdar University, evaluated the increase in dam occupancy rates due to the recent effective rainfall.
Dam occupancy rates are rising, but…
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller, stating that although the increase in dam occupancy rates due to rainy days nationwide might lead citizens to think ‘we will breathe easily this summer, there is no drought risk,’ the situation is not as simple as imagined, said, “Although the effective rainfall nationwide in the last weeks of March raised water levels in dams and increased occupancy rates, unfortunately, this situation does not guarantee that we will have a comfortable summer. The rainfall experienced within 15 days caused a significant increase in dams. Occupancy rates in Istanbul's dams increased by almost 20 percent. However, this year, the occupancy rate on April 1st was 65 percent, whereas last year it was around 80 percent, and by the end of the year, this rate had fallen below 20 percent. Of course, there are also provinces that are in a better situation compared to last year.”
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller, also stating that although dam occupancy rates are important in indicating the quantity of water resources, they essentially do no more than show our remaining water, said, “Because even if the levels are high now, the period ahead will be rainless, and careless usage habits in a few months could even lead us to use up and completely deplete this stored water.”
We face drought risk every summer
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller, stating that April rains do not change the reality of climate change, said, “It is not very accurate to interpret the concept of climate based on short-term weather conditions. Although it is beneficial to have such a rainy period at the end of March and beginning of April, this does not change the reality of climate change we are currently experiencing. The positive picture created by the rainfall during this period could turn into a negative scenario with a heatwave expected in the coming period. First, we must accept this: Not only next summer or the summer after, but every summer month from now on, we may face the risk of drought. Furthermore, merely having water in our dams does not mean we are not experiencing drought. The fact that water is not cut off in city or district centers or villages does not change the reality that drought continues to negatively affect fields, forests, and pastures. Drought causes serious yield loss in agriculture, increased salinization and desertification in our soils, pasture loss in animal husbandry, fodder scarcity, increased diseases in livestock, and insect infestations and increased fire risk in forests. Therefore, unfortunately, the ‘risk’ is now permanent.”
The perception of full dams leads to complacency
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller noted that news regarding rising dam occupancy rates can lead to complacency in society and continued:
“News about high dam levels, unfortunately, can cause complacency nationwide and lead to an increase in our water consumption. Although our citizens are generally aware of water conservation, we live in a geography where we must be very careful about drought. As a country, unfortunately, we are not water-rich; we are a water-stressed country. In fact, we can say that we are progressing towards becoming water-poor. Especially in regions with high population density or irregular rainfall regimes, as we have experienced in previous years, very difficult periods can occur. Water scarcity negatively affects both the daily lives of our people, our farmers, and individuals or organizations involved in production activities. Therefore, even if the dams are full, we must make our saving habits continuous, or more accurately, increase our water efficiency.”
Significant deficiencies in infrastructure and agriculture exist
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller stated that despite progress in combating drought, deficiencies persist: “Firstly, although water loss and leakage rates have been reduced with infrastructure investments made in past years, we still have an average leakage of over 30 percent nationwide. This rate needs to be reduced as much as possible in the shortest time. Our irrigation efficiency in agriculture is still not at the desired level. Agriculture is still practiced with wild irrigation methods in many regions. This situation increases regional water consumption and also decreases agricultural productivity. Our farmers should be educated on this matter, and efficient irrigation methods should be implemented nationwide.”
Rainwater harvesting and greywater use
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller, drawing attention to two fundamental methods for water resource protection and efficient use, said, “We must conserve and recycle water. There are 2 basic application methods for this. One is rainwater harvesting, and the other is greywater recycling. We must store rainwater in buildings and make the efficient use of water a life philosophy by ensuring the recycling of water collected from sinks, which is called greywater.”
Asst. Prof. Ahmet Adiller concluded his remarks by stating that Turkey is seriously affected by climate change: “Especially in recent years, events such as drought, floods, and inundations experienced in different regions of our country are the most important indicators of this. We must now accept this situation and prepare ourselves for this negative scenario by finding ways to use our existing water resources with the highest benefit.”