Authorities in the central province of Konya are preparing to implement an early warning system for sinkholes, as the risk of ground collapse continues to rise due to climate change and the rapid depletion of groundwater resources.
The project, led by Karatay Municipality in cooperation with academia, will be funded through a European Union grant. Under the initiative, monitoring stations will be installed across high-risk areas, while satellite data will be used to track groundwater levels, rainfall, soil moisture and surface deformations in real time through a web-based platform. The system will detect potential sinkhole risks at an early stage and support preventative action.
Data generated by the project will be shared via digital dashboards accessible to farmers and municipal staff, forming an integrated infrastructure for monitoring and managing sinkhole-related risks.
The system is also expected to be integrated into urban planning, e-zoning and construction permit processes, enabling risk-based and controlled development decisions in vulnerable areas.
While the exact prediction of sinkhole occurrence remains impossible, Kılca emphasized that dynamic modeling would help identify high-risk zones and culminate in the creation of a sinkhole risk map for Karatay.
Fetullah Arık, the head of Konya Technical University’s Sinkhole Research Center, underlined that the project addresses sinkholes within a broader framework of drought and water management. He warned that improper irrigation practices in arid and semi-arid climates accelerate groundwater depletion.
“This is a climate change adaptation-focused project,” he said, adding that surface deformation would be monitored remotely using field data and satellite imagery to enable early risk detection.
The two-year pilot project is expected to serve as a model for the wider Konya Basin and other regions facing similar risks.
