BAŞAK GÖK
A new report, prepared with the support of the United Nations (UN), found that several of the most severe droughts in history have occurred in the last two years. The report warned that Turkey could face a serious drought in 2030.
The report devotes a special section to the Mediterranean region and considers it one of the main centers of climate change, taking into account the increase in air temperatures and the decrease in rainfall.
It is stated that drought is normal in the Mediterranean climate, but its frequency and impact have increased rapidly since the 1950s.
According to the report, average air temperatures in the region are expected to increase by 2-3 degrees in 2050 and 3-5 degrees in 2100.Every 2 degrees of temperature increase means up to a 15 percent decrease in water access in the region.
Turkey, which Decrees a separate place in the report, is also seen among the countries with the highest potential to be affected by this drought due to the increasing probability of a desert-like climate.
To examine the impact and possible risks of climate change and global warming in the Mediterranean basin, the report is based on three countries: Spain, Morocco and Turkey.
According to the report, which includes the statements “Turkey is semi-arid and the soil is prone to fragmentation. 88 percent of the country is at risk of desertification”, rainfall rates in Turkey will decrease by 30 percent by the end of the 21st century.
At the same time, temperatures will increase, and by 2100 the average temperatures in the west and south of the country will be 4-5 degrees higher.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2019, Türkiye is in the category of countries experiencing water problems, and it is at risk of becoming a “water poor” country in 2030.
This means that 80 percent of the population and agricultural land face the risk of drought within five years.
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