Water crisis at the door in Istanbul: Dams are on the verge of drying up!
Water levels in Istanbul's dams continue to drop rapidly. In the Ömerli Dam, one of the city's most important water sources, the water has been observed to have receded completely in some areas. Aerial footage has revealed the extent of the drought.
İHA
According to İSKİ data from December 1, 2025, the overall dam occupancy rate in Istanbul has fallen to 18.27 percent. While the water level in the Ömerli Dam, one of the city's largest water sources, was measured at 14.88 percent, the Darlık Dam has an occupancy rate of 28.02 percent, the Elmalı Dam 49.79 percent, the Terkos Dam 20.47 percent, the Alibey Dam 11.04 percent, and the Büyükçekmece Dam 19.88 percent.
While the occupancy rate in the Sazlıdere Dam hovers between 17-18 percent, the occupancy rates in the Kazandere and Pabuçdere Dams, which have the lowest water levels, have dropped to the 2-3 percent range.