Syria, Turkey, Serbia and Hungary are struggling with severe drought conditions, with a lack of rainfall caused by extreme heat hitting their agricultural and energy production.
Syria is facing a potential food crisis after the worst drought in 36 years slashed wheat production by around 40%, squeezing the country’s cash-strapped government, which has been unable to secure large-scale purchases.
Over in Turkey, a drought in the northwestern province of Tekirdag has left the area’s main dams without potable water, straining infrastructure and leaving some homes without water for weeks, due to a sharp drop in precipitation in the country this year.
Elsewhere in the mountains of southeastern Serbia, a prolonged drought and sweltering heat are taking their toll on villagers, livestock and crops with animals starting to die.
Meanwhile, farmers in southern Hungary are grappling with increasingly severe drought as climate change cuts crop yields and reduces groundwater levels, with some considering relocating or alternative employment.
Syria’s historic drought
Around three million Syrians could face severe hunger, the United Nations’ World Food Programme told Reuters. Over half of the population of about 25.6 million is currently food insecure, it added.
In a June report, the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that Syria faced a wheat shortfall of 2.73 million metric tons this year, or enough to feed around 16 million people for a year.
Wheat is Syria’s most important crop and supports a state-subsidized bread program – a vital part of everyday life.
While Syria consumes around four million tons of wheat annually, domestic production is expected to fall to around 1.2 million tons this year, down 40% from last year, according to FAO figures.
“This has been the worst year ever since I started farming,” said Nazih Altarsha, whose family has owned six hectares of land in Homs governorate since 1960.
Reuters spoke to a Syrian official, three traders, three aid workers and two industry sources with direct knowledge of wheat procurement efforts, who said more imports and financing were needed to alleviate the impending shortage.
Turkey’s critical water shortage
Authorities say drought is a critical issue in Turkey, with several provinces warning of limited fresh water supply this summer.
Various areas in Izmir, Turkey’s third-most populous province, have experienced frequent water cuts this month, while the municipality in the western province of Usak was told over the weekend it would have access to water just six hours a day, with the main water reservoir depleted.
Rainfall slumped 71% in July across the country from a year ago, according to Turkey’s Meteorological Service.
The water level in Tekirdag’s Naip Dam, which has not seen any rainfall in June and July, fell to zero percent in August.
That has forced authorities to find alternatives like delivering irrigation water for domestic use and building a pump system for delivery into urban areas.
Mehmet Ali Sismanlar, head of Tekirdag’s Water and Sewerage Administration (TESKI), said rainfall in Tekirdag has reduced dramatically over the past decade, and severe drought over the last two years has spurred frequent water cuts in some areas this summer.
Serbia and Hungary’s scorching heat
At Serbia’s Suva Planina (Dry Mountain), owners who take their cows and horses for summer grazing said the springs dried up too early this year.
Temperatures in Serbia on Tuesday stood around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) with several wildfires burning.
Lack of rainfall since May has caused water shortages, wildfires and disruption to agriculture across the Western Balkans, comprising Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
The vast flatland – situated between the Tisza and the Danube rivers in Hungary – produces corn, grain, and sunflower seed, but scientists warn that rising temperatures and insufficient rainfall are threatening its agricultural viability.
In keeping with the topic of extreme weather, residents in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos are bracing for Hurricane Erin, a dangerous Category 4 storm and the first of the Atlantic season, after it strengthened over the weekend while sweeping past Caribbean islands.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Erin was likely to maintain its force as a dangerous major hurricane through the middle of the week but avoid contact with Bermuda or the U.S. coast.
Today’s Sustainable Switch was edited by Emelia Sithole-Matarise
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