Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Droughts are transforming the Turkish landscape with massive sinkholes
Located on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, Konya
was once the capital of the Seljuk Empire. It is now the agricultural capital
of Turkey, producing about 10% of the country’s agricultural production, including
water-thirsty crops like sugar beets and maize. Konya is located in a closed
basin, and its water supply relies heavily on rapidly depleting groundwater due
to excess extraction for farming. Approximately two-thirds of the 100,000 wells
in the region are illegally created. Because of the drought, farmers are
pumping more groundwater than it is naturally replenished. As a result, many hazardous
sinkholes have appeared rapidly in recent years in the area, some are as large
as more than 200 meters in diameter and 170 meters deep. Unless current farming
practices are changed, more sinkholes will appear as a clear sign of depleting groundwater.
Borrowing from the future for today’s needs is an acceptable practice as long
as the debt is payable. Can they expect to have more rain?
Read the article and learn about sinkholes appearing in the agricultural
capital of Turkey.
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