Nearly 700 sinkholes have been discovered in Turkey due to farmland collapse

Due to the continuous decrease in rainfall and the rapid drop in groundwater levels, several large sinkholes have successively appeared in several agricultural areas in central Turkey in recent years, causing great concern among local farmers and environmental experts.

The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said that 684 sinkholes have been recorded across the country so far, with as many as 534 in Konya Province. Some sinkholes have a diameter of over 30 meters and a depth of tens of meters, with an astonishing scale.

Konya Province and its surrounding areas are the most important agricultural core region in Turkey, accounting for approximately 11% of the country's arable land. These sudden sinkholes are constantly devouring farmland, posing a potential threat to agricultural production.

Experts point out that the formation of sinkholes is not caused by a single factor. In recent years, climate change has exacerbated the drought problem. The local precipitation has significantly decreased, and the groundwater level has dropped at a rate of 4 to 5 meters per year. Meanwhile, the rise in temperature leads to an increase in evaporation, further consuming the limited water resources.

In addition to natural factors, excessive human extraction of groundwater has also accelerated the crisis. Data shows that in some areas, the groundwater level has dropped by more than 60 meters since the 1970s. In some areas, even when Wells are drilled to a depth of 400 meters, water still cannot be drawn.