Eber Lake: 125 NGOs unite to demand urgent ecological protection

A coalition of 125 non-governmental organizations, professional groups, and cooperatives from across Turkey has issued a joint call to save Eber Lake in Afyonkarahisar. This collective action is noted as a first in the country, where diverse groups have united to address the ecological crisis facing a single wetland.

The lake is facing a severe crisis driven by both climate change-induced drought and human factors. Key threats include excessive water use in the Akarçay Basin, illegal water extraction, and pollution from agricultural, domestic, and industrial waste. The coalition emphasizes that the lake requires not just an increase in water volume, but the delivery of clean water.

The groups are demanding the immediate implementation of a measurable and time-bound ‘Eber Lake Survival Program’. They have called upon the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to take action. Specific demands include cleaning the Akarçay stream, converting it into a clean water corridor, preventing illegal discharges, and strengthening wastewater treatment infrastructure.