The Growing Sinkhole Problem in Konya

Professor Fetullah Arık, director of the Sinkhole Application Research Center at Konya Technical University, attributed the increase in sinkhole formations to factors such as drought and extensive underground water utilization, particularly in the Konya Closed Basin, where the situation is particularly alarming.

In addition to Konya's Sinkhole Application Research Center, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) is closely monitoring the sinkhole situation. Arık underscored that the groundwater level is diminishing by approximately 2 meters each year, warning of a potential severe water shortage in the future.

"Within AFAD's Disaster Risk Research System, around 600 sinkholes have been documented in Konya. Sinkholes that occur every year are recorded here, but there are thousands of deformation and subsidence structures in the region that may be a harbinger of sinkholes or have formed in the past," he noted.

The proliferation of sinkholes is not confined to Konya, they have also emerged in various other cities, including Karaman, Aksaray, Niğde, Nevşehir, Eskişehir and Ankara, Arık said. Moreover, there's been a noticeable uptick in sinkhole occurrences in the neighboring Sakarya Basin, located northwest of Konya.

Arık asserted that drought remains the leading cause of sinkhole formation throughout Türkiye, while in Konya and its neighboring provinces, groundwater utilization emerges as a chief contributor.

Mentioning that the sinkholes in the Konya Closed Basin attract attention with their abundance and size, Arık said: "Sinkholes not only draw scientific curiosity but also concern due to their potential hazards. We anticipate the arrival of professor Francisco Gutierrez, a renowned global expert in sinkhole research, and his team to evaluate the situation in Konya."