The international event titled “Living with Nature in the Mediterranean”, which deals with the future of the Mediterranean Basin in terms of cities, has started. In the event, ecology academics will discuss the effects of energy, food, migration and climate crises in the world in three sessions and share their solution suggestions.
The international event titled “Living with Nature in the Mediterranean”, which deals with the future of the Mediterranean Basin in terms of cities, started in Izmir. Many academicians, city managers and experts from 7 different countries came together at the event organized by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, İzmir Planning Agency (İZPA) and Aegean Municipalities Union at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center (AASSM).
“We see the consequences of the disaster everywhere”
Speaking at the opening of the event, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Advisor Güven Eken stated that they see the consequences of the disaster created by humans in the form of climate crisis, change in the flow of rains, decrease in the fertility of the soil, wars, hunger and poverty. “These are all related issues. It's all the result of our hoarding disease. The consequences of this hoarding disease are not just for living things, ecosystems and poor countries. Rich people of rich countries are also affected by this disease. Depression, unhappiness, not being able to dream, losing the joy of living, not being able to spare time for his family," he said.
“Everyone pays for it differently”
Güven Eken also stated that everyone pays the price differently and said, “We have to transform this. Cities are the focus of accumulation. Mines turn into cement and become buildings. Soils turn into agricultural land and become food. Rivers turn into water, bottled up. We are constantly accumulating. But unlike other living things, we give garbage, carbon dioxide, war and hunger to other regions as a result of this accumulation. The great transformation will be in the cities, this culture of accumulation will change in the cities so that healing can take place in different parts of the planet. If our world is going to get better, this is the beginning of the world's metropolises such as Izmir," he said.
“We are very lucky”
Güven Eken concluded his words with the following words: “We are very lucky because there is a mayor in İzmir who has this vision. Such a mayor comes to the Mediterranean once in 50 years. It's rare. The arrival of a mayor who understands such an issue in essence, not in form, will be able to establish a vision of transforming the city, which has turned into a concrete heap over the years, into a living space and home in harmony with nature. There are very few mayors who can establish that.”
“The solution will come from the cities”
İzmir Yüksek Teknoloji University City and Regional Planning Department Head Prof. Dr. Koray Velibeyoğlu also made a presentation at the event. Koray Velibeyoğlu, who stated that they believed that the solution would come from the cities despite the problems experienced, pointed out that the reason for İzmir's existence was the Gulf, and that the starting point should be established here by bringing the sea and life together.
Explained the places to be protected
Referring to the necessity of taking an active protection and development position in the peripheral areas of İzmir, Velibeyoğlu said, “Deltas, wetlands, agricultural areas, forests… We need to protect these areas as a life support system. We need to open gaps and corridors in the densely built area. The works carried out by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality are important. The Sponge City study is important in that it brings an idea that collects water and harvests. Meles Stream also has a very important place. It covers an area of 20 kilometers in the city. Being able to transform this region means taking an important step towards green transformation from the past to the present. Expo 2026 is also important. The area it covers includes an important part of the national corridor. It includes a large area of 107 hectares and this transformation with the Expo is an important green transformation step in terms of realizing the creek corridor.”
Problems and solutions will be discussed
In the first session of the event with the theme of “Mediterranean in a Changing World”, the global crisis and uncertainties of the age were discussed. In the second session titled “Regional Heritage and Ecology in the Mediterranean”, river basins, which are the carriers of sustainable development under the leadership of regional natural and cultural heritage, will be evaluated, and in the last session, “İzmir and Sustainable Development Goals”, new governance plans based on the localization of these goals will be evaluated.
Be the first to comment