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Turkey's Breadbasket Crumbles: Land Collapse Fears Grow
28 Feb
Summary
- Increasing sinkholes force farmers to fear for their homes.
- Groundwater extraction for irrigation depletes reserves, worsening land collapse.
- Farmers adapt by planting less water-intensive crops like hemp.
The fertile region of Konya, Turkey's breadbasket, is facing a severe crisis as land collapse accelerates. Farmers report the appearance of numerous sinkholes, some large enough to swallow entire fields, creating an atmosphere of constant fear and uncertainty.
This phenomenon is driven by a combination of dwindling rainfall, rising temperatures, and excessive groundwater extraction for irrigation. Farmers have to dig deeper wells, further depleting underground reserves and destabilizing the land, which is geologically prone to sinkholes.
In response, farmers are exploring adaptive agricultural practices. Some are reintroducing crops like hemp, which require significantly less water than traditional staples like corn and sugarbeet. Others are reviving ancient dry-farming techniques that rely solely on natural moisture.
The broader implications extend to Turkey's climate leadership, especially as it prepares to host COP31, raising questions about the effectiveness of current climate policies in meeting global targets.
