A drone photo taken on Sept. 5, 2025 shows a man walking on the cracked lakebed of Lake Mogan in Ankara, Türkiye.  (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

ANKARA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) — At Ankara’s Lake Mogan, wild ducks now stand on cracked mud where water once shimmered. Once a stopover for thousands of migratory birds, the shrinking wetlands are now struggling through a dry season.

Türkiye is facing one of the most serious drought episodes in recent times. According to the Turkish State Meteorological Service, the August 2024-July 2025 period has been one of the driest in the past 65 years.

“Nearly 70 percent of the country is under severe or exceptional drought,” said Mikdat Kadioglu, a meteorology professor at Istanbul Technical University.

“This is not just about one dry season, it reflects a long-term trend linked to climate change and unsustainable water use,” he said, noting that the Turkish capital Ankara is among the worst-hit regions in the country.

Reservoirs are running low, farmers are struggling to irrigate crops, and wetlands are shrinking at an alarming pace, a press officer from the Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration said.

Lake Mogan, in Ankara’s southern suburban district of Golbasi, has long been a weekend retreat for families and birdwatchers. Today, its receding waters and shrinking wetlands tell a different story.

Residents around Golbasi say fewer migratory storks and herons were seen this summer. Farmers nearby report difficulties with irrigation as groundwater levels drop.

“In the past we had dry seasons as well, but this year it’s different. The impact of drought around the lake is noticeable, and it seems this situation is not temporary,” said Cagdas Erdogan, who owns a small house at the shore of Lake Mogan.

“People often see these lakes as places for picnics or fishing. But their ecological role is much bigger. They filter water, recharge groundwater, and mitigate floods. If they vanish, the consequences will be felt,” said Cagatay Tavsanoglu, a climate change scholar at Hacettepe University.

“Wetlands are highly vulnerable to climate extremes. They rely on a delicate balance of rainfall and groundwater inflow. When this balance is disrupted by prolonged drought, their ecological function collapses very quickly,” he noted.

“When reed beds dry out, birds lose their nesting grounds. Fish cannot survive in shallow, oxygen-depleted waters. It creates a chain reaction across the food web,” he added.

In recent years, the Turkish government has stepped up efforts to conserve water resources, promoting efficient irrigation systems and investing in dam infrastructure. Yet experts caution that infrastructure alone cannot counterbalance the effects of declining rainfall.

“Climate models suggest that central Anatolia, including Ankara, will experience longer and hotter dry periods in the coming decades,” Tavsanoglu warned.

“This means adaptation strategies must focus on reducing water demand, protecting natural ecosystems, and raising awareness among local communities,” he stressed.

In Golbasi, authorities have already begun restoration efforts, such as planting reeds to stabilize the lakeshore and limiting construction projects around wetlands.

Environmental groups, meanwhile, have launched campaigns to draw attention to bird migration routes and the need for stricter protection.

Still, the challenge is there. The wetlands’ survival depends on a resource which has become scarce: sustainable precipitation.

“Wetlands are nature’s early warning systems,” Tavsanoglu said. “Their decline tells us that we are approaching ecological limits,” he added.  

People walk on the dry lake bed of Lake Mogan in Ankara, Türkiye, on Sept. 5, 2025.  (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 5, 2025 shows a view of Lake Mogan, which has shrunk and lost water due to drought, in Ankara, Türkiye.  (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)Flamingos are seen over Lake Mogan in Ankara, Türkiye, on Sept. 5, 2025.  (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)■