The drought in Adana is at its peak.

In Adana, which has the largest and most fertile agricultural lands in Turkey, the threat of drought is becoming more pronounced every day. Due to the increase in sea water temperature and changes in climate, Adana has not seen a drop of rain for months. Additionally, temperature records were broken in Adana during June, July, and August.

WARNINGS WERE ISSUED TO FARMERS

Furthermore, in August, the Seyhan Left Bank Irrigation Union officially warned farmers not to plant autumn crops.

WATER LEVELS IN SEYHAN DAM LAKE HAVE RETREATED BY 2 KILOMETERS

In Adana, where it has not rained, the water in Seyhan Dam Lake has retreated approximately 2 kilometers from the shore. The drought threat in Çukurova was also captured by drone footage. According to data from ASKİ dated 08.11.2024, the filling rate is 65.31%, the water volume is 1 billion 440 million 845 thousand 322 cubic meters, and the water level is measured at 115.67 meters.

"HIGH TEMPERATURES HAVE CAUSED US TO EXPERIENCE THESE CONDITIONS"

Regarding the issue, Prof. Dr. Mesut Başıbüyük, a faculty member of the Environmental Engineering Department at Çukurova University, made statements. Prof. Dr. Başıbüyük recalled that temperature records were broken in Adana in 2023 and 2024, stating, "Since February 2023, average sea water temperatures and surface water temperatures have broken all-time records. The year 2024 has also been recorded as the hottest year ever. We experienced a very mild winter in February 2024. There was almost no snowfall. Despite the low snowfall, we observed extremely high temperatures of 30-31 degrees in March. We experienced incredibly high temperatures in June. The high temperatures in July and August have led us to experience these conditions today," he said.

"THERE IS NO RISK OF LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO DROUGHT IN OUR COUNTRY"

Prof. Dr. Mesut Başıbüyük stated that thousands of people have lost their lives due to drought in North African countries and that drought can lead to very serious problems. He said, "It has been observed that there is a certain risk of drought in our region. Drought is actually one of the most serious problems caused by climate change. It causes significant loss of life. There is no such risk in our country, but people in North African countries are losing their lives due to the consequences of drought," he said.

"HEAT TRANSFERS ARE HEATING THE SEA WATER"

Prof. Dr. Mesut Başıbüyük emphasized that the increase in sea water temperature triggers meteorological disasters and then stated:

"This increase in temperature and the increasing amount of carbon dioxide are the main reasons for the warming of the seas. The seas absorb 95% of the heat generated by human activity. Therefore, this heat transfer makes the sea water warmer. The warming of sea water also leads to the emergence of meteorological disasters. We have seen the most typical examples of this first in hurricanes in America and then in floods in Spain. The sea water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico exceeded 32 degrees, leading to these hurricanes in America. It is said that the damage exceeds 100 billion dollars."

Moreover, Prof. Dr. Başıbüyük added that everyone in Turkey needs to adapt to new meteorological events.