ISTANBUL, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- A rapid increase in sinkholes is raising environmental and agricultural alarms in drought-stricken Konya province in central Türkiye, driven by severe groundwater depletion and climate change.
A total of 655 sinkholes have been recorded across the province, most appearing in farmlands and some as close as 30 km from Konya's city center, according to data from Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The Konya Branch of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers reported the sinkholes appear in corn, wheat and sugar beet field, ranging from 6 to 30 meters wide and up to 15 meters deep.
Experts attribute the surge in sinkholes to reduced rainfall and excessive groundwater extraction.
"Konya's limestone-rich geological structure makes the area particularly vulnerable," Burak Kirkgoz, head of the Konya Branch of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, told Xinhua. "While sinkholes have existed for decades, about 30 percent have formed in the past decade due to insufficient rainfall and weak groundwater recharge linked to climate change."
The Konya Basin recorded its lowest rainfall in 51 years during the 2025 water year, receiving just 256 mm, the least in the country, data from the Turkish State Meteorological Service showed.
The term "water year" refers to the total precipitation measured during the 12-month cycle most critical for farmers, as it directly overlaps with irrigation periods.
Groundwater loss has accelerated sharply, from an average drop of about half a meter per year in the early 2000s to 4 to 5 meters annually now, with levels falling over 50 meters in some areas, according to the chamber.
Kirkgoz warned the phenomenon is nearing "natural disaster" scale and called for urgent surface surveys to identify high-risk zones, restrict access, evacuate buildings if necessary, reroute roads, and fence off agricultural land to prevent casualties.
Compounding the problem, widespread illegal well drilling is accelerating water loss, as farmers increasingly rely on groundwater for irrigation.
Fetullah Arik, head of the Sinkhole Research and Application Center at Konya Technical University, said the region has around 40,000 licensed wells and an estimated 120,000 unlicensed ones.
No sinkholes currently threaten residential areas, AFAD Konya Provincial Director Ali Ihsan Korpes told the semi-official Anadolu Agency. Yet disaster management agencies have begun mapping high-risk zones to mitigate future hazards, including producing a Sinkhole Susceptibility Map for the Konya Closed Basin. ■
