Lake Tuz basin undergoing desertification, says activist

Özkaymak said the most important streams feeding Lake Tuz were not the rivers of Peçeneköz and Melendiz, but the sewage lines from the city of Konya. “Unfortunately it flows into the lake without any chemical purification. And the newly established water purification plant does not do any chemical purification, only biological.” He added that the pollution also had a negative impact on the migratory flamingoes living in the area around the lake.

Özkaymak named the two main reasons for shrinkage of Lake Tuz: the drought resulting from global warming, and the carelessly dug wells for the use of groundwater in irrigation. He said that Lake Tuz lost 60 percent of its water over the past 18 years. “The rainfall, which feeds the groundwater in the winter, declined by 30 percent and the average temperature for the month of July rose about 2 degrees according to the data for the last 35 years.”  

Özkaynak emphasized the need to take immediate steps to eliminate the problems the lake is facing; otherwise, the lake is going to dry up in 10 years. “Lake Tuz is more than a salt store. It is an important wetland that provides wildlife opportunities not only for human beings, but also other organisms. It has a positive impact on the national economy, but moreover it offers biological diversity. Lake Tuz is the only habitat for various kinds of plants and animals. A significant population of cranes [Grus grus], flamingoes [Phoenicopterus rubber] and white-fronted geese [Anser albifrons] live in the area surrounding this lake. There is no place they can migrate if this lake is destroyed,” he said.