In this episode of The Orient Brief, host Ahmetcan Uzlaşık investigates the alarming disappearance of Türkiye’s lakes and wetlands. Over the past 60 years, more than 180 lakes have dried up, threatening biodiversity, water security, and local livelihoods. Wetlands expert Burçin Yaraşlı joins the conversation to explain how mismanagement, over-irrigation, and industrial pressure-alongside climate change-are accelerating this environmental collapse. Can Türkiye still save its lakes, or are we witnessing an irreversible loss? Tune in for a deep dive into one of Türkiye’s most urgent ecological crises.