Climate shifts and rising demand leave Turkey water stressed
By Jennifer Hattam / Thomson Reuters Foundation, ISTANBUL, Turkey
Last winter, the massive dams and reservoirs that supply water to Istanbul’s 15 million residents fell to critically low levels, sparking fears of shortages.
Late-arriving snow and rain ultimately gave Turkey’s largest city a reprieve.
However, water and climate experts say that the country’s water worries are far from over and more dams are part of the problem.
“Instead of trying to reduce our water demand, or decrease the amount lost through broken pipes and leaks, we are just focused on creating more supply by building new dams,” said Akgun Ilhan, a water management expert at the Istanbul Policy Center.