Officials take drastic action as crucial water supply goes past 'dead' level: 'Can no longer supply'

Water scarcity in northwestern Turkey has reached a critical point after the Kadıköy Dam, a key drinking water source for the town of Keşan, effectively ran dry, according to Daily Sabah.

What's happening?

Authorities suspended all water withdrawals after reservoir levels dropped below what is known as "dead storage," and intensifying droughts linked to rising temperatures are pushing vital water systems to the brink.

"As the dam can no longer supply water without endangering aquatic life and fish populations, our Kadıköy Water Treatment Plant has been temporarily taken out of service," water official Bedri Kara said. 

The Kadıköy Dam supplies drinking water to Keşan. The reservoir, designed to hold 56 million cubic meters of water, has dropped to below 1% capacity.

The dam is located in Edirne province near Turkey's borders with Greece and Bulgaria.

Prolonged drought, extreme summer heat and increased evaporation have driven the decline. According to the Turkish government, rainfall was 26% below the long-term average last year.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified the Mediterranean as one of the world's most climate vulnerable regions, and it has predicted that those in the region will experience warming and more severe droughts than the global average.

Why is Turkey's drought important?

Droughts intensified by climate change are reshaping water security across southern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. The IPCC has warned that declining freshwater availability in the region threatens agriculture and public health. 

Globally, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that drought causes more than one-third of all disaster-related crop losses, which can increase food prices and cause economic strain. 

Water shortages disrupt hospitals, schools and businesses, while prolonged heat worsens cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. The World Health Organization warns that water stress increases risk of disease and disproportionately harms vulnerable populations.

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What's being done about water scarcity in Turkey?

Local officials in Turkey opened new groundwater wells to adapt to the water scarcity and have urged residents to reduce water use.

In the meantime, the dam will be given time to recover its water levels.

"As the dam can no longer supply water without endangering aquatic life and fish populations, our Kadıköy Water Treatment Plant has been temporarily taken out of service," Kara said. "This decision has been taken to protect nature and the ecosystem. No water will be withdrawn from the dam until water levels rise."

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