News

Flood sparks debate on environmental misconduct

Published

September 16, 2015

Comments

0

Share

Published:

September 16, 2015

Comments:

0

Share

With the Black Sea province of Artvin suffering floods after disastrous rain and landslides that killed eight people, experts believe the many hydroelectric power plants being constructed in the area and clogged culverts triggered the deadly phenomenon, Hürriyet Daily News reported.

Disregarding the fragile geology and landslide risk of Turkey’s northern Black Sea region, riverbed directions were changed for hydroelectric power plant constructions, said Mert Güvenç, the head of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, a sub-organization of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), the article said. „Necessary measures have not been taken. This disaster is manmade,“ Güvenç told Hürriyet. A true natural disaster has been produced by misapplication of environmental impact assessment (ÇED) procedures for the hydroelectric power plants, Güvenç said, referring to the fact that according to Turkish law all construction projects require a ÇED report to start construction.

Eight people were dead, one missing, and 19 injured after floods and landslides occurred after heavy rain in Artvin’s Hopa district on August 24.

Related Articles

Vjosa becomes national park – first protected wild river in Europe

20 March 2023 - The Vjosa river obtained the highest level of protection following several years of campaigning and Albania's cooperation with NGOs

Global Recycling Day waste sorting reducing CO2 emissions

Global Recycling Day: from waste sorting to reducing CO2 emissions

18 March 2023 - Global Recycling Day is marked on March 18 to highlight the importance of reusing items...

EU electricity market design reform temperate positive step

EU’s electricity market design reform deemed as temperate, positive step

17 March 2023 - In its usual manner, the European Commission has come up with middle-of-the-road solutions for its electricity market design reform

smr-small-nuclear-reactor-energy-nea

NEA launches SMR Dashboard to track small nuclear reactor development

17 March 2023 - Small modular nuclear reactors can reshape the energy market and help the world reach net zero emissions by 2050, NEA says