Climate change is impacting not only the oceans but also large inland lakes. As Türkiye's fifth largest natural lake in the Mediterranean region, Lake Iznik is adversely affected by seasonal drought and presents an example of how a waterbody can and will change. Once a prominent structure on a dry land covered by water in the subsequent centuries, an ancient basilica's ruins rose up again in the lake recently. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers the Mediterranean Basin, including Türkiye, as one of the most-impacted regions and most sensitive to the effects of climate change.
Turkiye has been witnessing many challenges in terms of drought due to climate change in the country. Among such challenges, in recent years, there has been an increasing drought issue in the Konya plain in central Turkiye. And the appearance of sinkholes has become a significant problem in the area as a result of the overuse of groundwater.
Secondly, the largest soda lake in the world, Lake Van, located in the eastern Van province, has seen water levels drop by 250-300 meters (820-984 feet). The region's annual average precipitation has dropped, and increasing evaporation brought on by rising temperatures is the main cause of the drop in water levels. In addition to these causes, the problem was brought on by the overuse of surface and groundwater.
Following this, Lake Akşehir, which has completely dried up and resembles a steppe, has become a place where only animals are being grazed. Climate change has resulted in prolonged dry weather that negatively affects water and forest resources. Especially drought has an immediate effect on the economy, environment and social life. After its consequences are seen in agriculture, it inexorably cascades into other water-dependent industries.
While global sea levels are rising due to the climate crisis and threatening near-coastal infrastructures, higher temperatures in other areas have the opposite effect. The water levels are falling and also causing massive problems e.g., drought. A natural phenomenon when precipitation is below average for a long period of time. It is quite challenging to predict the occurrences.
After all this, Türkiye's fifth largest natural lake in the Mediterranean region is shrinking, leading to the appearance of sunken basilica remains on the shores. This ancient basilica in Bursa was built 1500 years ago on the shore, located at a depth of 1.5-2 meters of the lake beside the city of Nicaea, which is known as Iznik today. But it was destroyed in an earthquake and later became covered in water as the level of the lake changed. The submerged basilica is cited among the most significant discoveries in 2014 in the world. The basilica was predicted to be built in memory of saint Neophytos. According to the archaeologists, it was most likely the first Nicaea Ecumenical Council meeting place.
Taylan Sevil, a former director of the Iznik Museum, said that the sunken basilica discovered in 2014 became visible due to the receding water in Lake Iznik recently and highlighted the historical importance of the basilica in terms of archeology. According to Sevil, in the history of global archaeology, the historical basilica is regarded as one of the remarkable finds of the century. The basilica, formerly submerged in the lake but has since blended with the ground, is now within walking distance due to the low water levels due to climate change.
