Türkiye loses wetlands larger than Marmara Sea over 60 years

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has lost wetlands covering an area equivalent to around 1.5 times the size of the Marmara Sea over the past 60 years, a trend that has increased drought risk, weakened biodiversity and undermined efforts to combat climate change, an expert has said.

This warning comes as World Wetlands Day is marked globally on Feb. 2, an annual event aimed at raising awareness of the ecological, cultural and economic value of wetlands.

Wetlands are protected internationally under the Ramsar Convention, in force since 1975.

Türkiye, which became a party to the agreement in 1994, currently has 14 Ramsar-listed sites, out of more than 2,400 worldwide.

While the country lacks comprehensive national data on wetland coverage, global figures show that around 50 percent of wetlands worldwide have been lost since the 1900s, rising to 56 percent in the Mediterranean Basin.

In Türkiye alone, wetlands covering about 2 million hectares have disappeared in the last 60 years, according to Şafak Arslan, conservation program coordinator at a Turkish nature association.

Significant losses have been recorded in the central region, especially in the Konya Closed Basin, Lake Tuz and numerous water bodies across the Lakes Region, many of which have either dried up completely or shrunk dramatically.

Wetlands are among the world’s most important ecosystems due to their rich biodiversity, variety of habitats, and their role as carbon sinks, according to Arslan.

The loss of wetlands disrupts the water cycle, directly increasing the risk of drought.

The primary cause of wetland loss in Türkiye is agricultural irrigation, which consumes nearly 80 percent of available water resources.

Inefficient irrigation methods and crop choices poorly suited to local conditions have accelerated depletion, with climate change further worsening the situation.

Arslan stressed that protection alone is no longer sufficient.

“Wetlands must be restored,” he said, emphasizing the importance of reintroducing traditional, nature-compatible practices.