In an effort to reduce pollution in Lake Van and preserve it for future generations, divers have conducted an underwater cleanup, retrieving dozens of car tires, bags of plastic, and metal waste from the lakebed.
The Van Metropolitan Municipality continues its projects aimed at rescuing Lake Van from pollution and raising public awareness. As part of these efforts, the municipality commissioned an Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant four years ago to prevent untreated wastewater from being discharged directly into the lake. In addition to treating wastewater, authorities have been removing sludge and silt accumulating on the lakebed.
So far, a total of 1.96 million cubic meters of sludge and mud has been cleared. Alongside these physical cleanup efforts, the municipality also carries out educational campaigns to discourage the dumping of solid waste into the lake.
As part of these awareness initiatives, divers from the Underwater Search and Rescue Unit of the Fire Department, supported by the Climate Change and Zero Waste Department of the Metropolitan Municipality and the Environmental Committee of the Turkish Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF), carried out a lakebed cleanup operation near Akdamar Island.
The operation involved 26 personnel, including seven divers, who retrieved numerous car tires, plastic bags and metal debris from the depths of Lake Van and brought them to shore.
The underwater operation was documented by underwater documentary producer and cinematographer Tahsin Ceylan.
Ceylan stated that the cleanup took place near Akdamar Island, a location that dazzles visitors with its biological and archaeological richness and attracts thousands of tourists every year.
He emphasized the importance of the event organized by the Van Metropolitan Municipality and said: “The waste collected by our divers represents only a small fraction of the debris on the lakebed. People often say, ‘Let’s keep Lake Van clean,’ but clearly, we are failing. These images speak for themselves. Our hope is to leave Lake Van free from plastics and pollution for future generations. I hope we all show the necessary sensitivity to make this happen.”
Ceylan added that the Van Metropolitan Municipality has built what he considers one of the most meaningful wastewater treatment systems in Türkiye, describing it as highly efficient and a model for others. However, he noted that pollution from visitors to the island remains a cultural issue that must be addressed.
“Akdamar Island is an extraordinary archaeological site. The surface reveals a unique history, while traces of ancient civilizations remain hidden underwater. At depths of around 20 meters, we’ve seen tower-like structures, suggesting that the lake’s water level has risen significantly over time. This area must not be polluted.”
TSSF Environmental Committee Chair Mehtap Akbaş Çiftci, who also participated in the cleanup, said the project aimed to raise awareness.
“Divers removed all kinds of materials that are foreign to the nature of the lake and should not be present. As we do every year, we carried out this underwater clean-up in collaboration with the Van Metropolitan Municipality’s Underwater Search and Rescue Unit. The result was disappointing. As you can see, there are all sorts of items in the lake that shouldn’t be there. Hopefully, in the coming years, such cleanups won’t be as necessary and both Lake Van and Akdamar Island, a key tourist destination, will remain clean.”
TSSF Van Provincial Representative Serkan Ök, who also took part in the event, described the level of pollution on the lakebed as alarming.
“The waste we removed today came from just one concentrated spot. Imagine the scale of pollution across the entire lake. Our aim is to instill environmental consciousness in people and work toward a future where Lake Van is protected and preserved for everyone.”
