Lake Van is shrinking, its waters drying up because of the climate crisis. 

The saltwater Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey and the biggest sodium water lake in the world. It is an important habitat for birds, both resident and migratory.

The lake is fed by several rivers as well as rainwater and snowmelt and its water level typically varies seasonally by about 50 centimetres, rising in the spring and reaching its lowest levels in the winter. But with high temperatures and low rainfall this summer, the lake has receded by more than a kilometer on the lake’s shallow coasts, revealing historical ruins that were once covered by water.

“Currently, evaporation in Lake Van is almost three times the precipitation. Three times the water entering the lake disappears when this happens,” said Mustafa Akkus, a scientist from Yuzuncu Yil University, Hurriyet Daily News reported. 

Turkey’s agriculture minister, Bekir Pakdemirli, speaking at a climate change workshop in Izmir on Wednesday said the frequency of natural disasters such as floods, storms, and droughts has increased by five times in the past 50 years, because of climate change. This summer, Turkey has battled wildfires, floods, and drought.


Photos taken on September 17, 2021 by Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency