As Turkey hosts COP31 in Antalya, its continued dependence on coal is putting an increasingly scarce resource under growing pressure: water. While the country has yet to set a timeline for phasing out coal, its thermal power plants consume vast quantities of water, and open-pit lignite mines drain groundwater aquifers to reach coal deposits. Across the country, this is reshaping entire watersheds and undermining local communities’ access to water. In Muğla, two coal-fired power plants have been allocated around 36 million cubic metres of water annually — more than the combined yearly water consumption of Bodrum and Milas. Meanwhile, in the Afşin-Elbistan basin, groundwater is being pumped out on an enormous scale, forcing farmers to drill deeper wells, shoulder soaring electricity bills and abandon their fields. Through a three-part investigation spanning local testimonies, field reporting and nationwide data, Coal’s Shadow Over Water reveals how Turkey’s coal economy is reshaping water allocation, disrupting hydrological systems and deepening water insecurity. At a time when climate resilience depends on protecting water resources, our investigation asks a fundamental question: Is Turkey running out of water, or is its water being reserved for coal?