Drought crisis grips Mediterranean and Balkan regions, threatening food and water security

Drought crisis grips Mediterranean and Balkan regions, threatening food and water security | Photo: Clark Wilson

The Mediterranean and Balkan regions are entering one of the most severe drought cycles in decades, with far-reaching consequences for agriculture, water security and social stability. From Syria’s collapsing wheat harvest to empty reservoirs in Turkey and parched farmland in Serbia and Hungary, the impact of vanishing rainfall underscores how climate volatility is reshaping livelihoods and deepening fragility in already vulnerable states.

Syria’s shrinking breadbasket

Syria is enduring its worst drought in 36 years, with rainfall far below seasonal norms. The result has been a 40 per cent collapse in wheat output compared with last year. Wheat is not merely a crop in Syria, it forms the backbone of the country’s subsidised bread programme, a system that sustains millions of citizens battered by years of war and economic decline.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that around 3 million people are now at heightened risk of food insecurity. Farmers, unable to irrigate their fields, are abandoning once-productive land, compounding the displacement crisis that has marked the country’s last decade. Aid agencies say that without urgent support and more stable rainfall, the humanitarian fallout could escalate rapidly.

Turkey’s reservoirs run dry

Neighbouring Turkey is also on the front line of the drought. In the northwestern province of Tekirdag, reservoirs have hit zero capacity. Residents have endured long water cuts, turning to bottled supplies and tanker deliveries. July rainfall fell by 71 per cent compared with the seasonal average, leaving authorities scrambling to transfer water from adjacent provinces.

The spectre of scarcity looms over Istanbul, a city of 16 million, should autumn rains fail. Analysts warn that such conditions, once considered exceptional, are becoming increasingly common in a climate where hotter summers and erratic precipitation are the new norm.

Fields withering in Serbia and Hungary

In the Balkans, the drought is wreaking havoc on farms. Southeastern Serbia and southern Hungary have reported near-total losses in corn and sunflower production, staples of the regional economy. Cattle and sheep farmers, facing barren pastures and dwindling drinking water, have been forced into emergency slaughters.

Local governments are considering financial aid and subsidies to keep small-scale producers afloat. Yet the mood among farmers is bleak. Some now question whether traditional cultivation can survive in a landscape where climate extremes appear to be accelerating.

The wider lesson

Meteorological services point to shifting weather systems, amplified by climate change, as the root of the crisis. Warmer summers, prolonged dry spells and irregular rainfall are no longer anomalies but structural shifts in the Mediterranean climate. The consequences are not only ecological but also economic and political, tying together water scarcity, food insecurity and the potential for social unrest.

Addressing this requires both emergency relief and longer-term adaptation, from investment in drought-resistant crops to sustainable water management strategies. The crisis also links directly to global targets for ending hunger and securing sustainable agriculture, as outlined in SDG 2 Zero Hunger.

For further reading on global efforts to build resilience in food systems and water security, resources such as the World Resources Institute and International Water Management Institute provide deeper analysis.