Before The Last Glacier Melts

The summer of 2025 will remain in Türkiye’s collective memory for a long time. Declining rainfall, temperatures consistently above seasonal averages, and the gradual depletion of groundwater resources led to severe drought conditions across many parts of the country. Especially in the Aegean region — including provinces such as İzmir, Aydın, Uşak, and Muğla — drinking water shortages became impossible to ignore. As reservoir levels dropped to critical thresholds, people living in coastal areas began to understand the true value of water through frequent supply cuts. We know that Türkiye lies within a semi-arid climate zone. From an early age, many of us learned by heart that the Mediterranean climate brings “hot and dry summers, cool and rainy winters.” Yet this fundamental reality has rarely been placed at the center of daily decision-making, urban planning, or tourism investments. In major tourism destinations such as Bodrum and Çeşme — which host millions of visitors every summer — ...