By Abbas Nazil
Approximately 2,000 flamingo chicks have died at Lake Tuz, Turkey’s second-largest lake, during the current breeding season, raising widespread alarm about worsening environmental degradation and water mismanagement in central Anatolia.
Field teams confirmed the mass deaths in the lake’s critical nesting zones over recent days, drawing attention to a growing ecological crisis fueled by drought and unregulated agricultural practices.
Lake Tuz, a hypersaline lake stretching across the provinces of Konya, Ankara, and Aksaray, has long served as a vital breeding ground for greater flamingos and an essential migratory stopover for thousands of birds traveling between Europe and Africa.
The lake typically hosts up to 22,000 flamingos annually during the spring and summer months, earning its local nickname, the “flamingo paradise.”
However, in recent years, it has been rapidly shrinking due to climate extremes and unchecked groundwater extraction.
Experts attribute the recent die-off primarily to a combination of prolonged drought, rapidly falling groundwater levels, and the diversion of water for unsustainable farming irrigation.
As a result, shallow wetlands surrounding the lake that are crucial for chick survival have dried up prematurely, cutting off water and food access.
“Most of the chicks died after being cut off from the water sources they depend on in early life,” said a member of the field inspection team. “The canal feeding the breeding area has run dry.”
Mustafa Uzun, head of conservation and monitoring at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, acknowledged that Turkey is experiencing extreme climatic conditions this year, with Lake Tuz among the driest regions.
He stated that the government is working to protect the breeding areas and preserve the flamingo population.
Nonetheless, local conservationists believe these efforts are insufficient and too reactive.
“What we’re witnessing is not a natural disaster, it’s mainly the result of human activity,” said environmental activist Fahri Tunc, who accused farmers of drilling deep wells and diverting water despite repeated warnings.
Tunc emphasized the need for systemic change, warning that similar incidents are likely to recur if the root causes remain unaddressed.
Wildlife photographer Melih Ozbek, who has documented Lake Tuz’s birdlife for over a decade, said the tragedy was inevitable given the lake’s receding shoreline and lack of rain. “The chicks died from dehydration and lack of food.
This is no longer an anomaly; it’s the new normal,” he said, adding that the collapse of Lake Tuz would devastate bird migration routes.
Scientists have long warned that the lake’s closed basin structure makes it especially vulnerable to environmental stress.
Besides ecological impacts, the overuse of groundwater in nearby provinces has triggered an increase in sinkholes, signaling deeper hydrological imbalances.
Although the government has launched monitoring and protection projects, environmentalists argue that enforcement is weak and long-term solutions will require a radical overhaul of water management policies.
According to Tunc, “This is not just about flamingos. It’s a warning for all wetlands in Turkey. Without urgent reform, we risk losing far more than a single species.”
