Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality continues to clean the Gulf with many works and applications. The Metropolitan Municipality, which has implemented many applications such as collecting garbage in coastal and beach areas, works hard to protect the health of the Gulf, which faces various environmental threats along its 130 km coastline.
MARINE GARBAGE POSES A MAJOR THREAT
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality is carrying out serious studies on marine litter, one of the biggest environmental problems encountered in the Gulf of Izmit. While glass bottles, metal cans, plastic waste and especially microplastics pose a serious threat to both marine life and human health, the negative effects of microplastics on the ecosystem are becoming more apparent every day. The metropolitan municipality is taking various measures in many areas to prevent this pollution.
MARINE GARBAGE CLEANING PROJECT
The Metropolitan Municipality has developed a comprehensive “Marine Garbage Cleaning Project” to prevent marine garbage from reaching the sea in order to clean the Gulf of Izmit and protect its ecosystem. Within the scope of this project, practices such as preventing marine garbage at the source, collecting garbage before it reaches the sea by installing fixed barrier systems in streams, and collecting garbage in coastal and beach areas were implemented.
THE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY WORKS IN A MULTI-SYSTEMIC WAY
In addition to these studies, glass, metal and plastic waste collected from the seas are recycled and evaluated in accordance with the zero waste principle. Carrying out a systematic study and collecting garbage on the sea surface with sea surface cleaning boats, the Metropolitan Municipality both cleans the waste in coastal areas with Amphibious Wetland Cleaning Vehicles and prevents the waste accumulated in streams from reaching the sea with a fixed barrier system.
MOSS IS COLLECTED REGULARLY
The Metropolitan Municipality, which has been carrying out cleaning works with sea sweepers in the Gulf of Izmit since 2008, regularly collects the waste drifting from the streams with the rain and the seaweed breaking off the seabed. With the stream barriers, 2016 m³ of waste has been prevented from reaching the marine ecosystem since 1830.
GARBAGE IS PREVENTED FROM REACHING THE SEA
The Metropolitan Municipality, which has established fixed barrier systems in order to prevent garbage from reaching the sea, especially in the sand and cherry streams that flow into the Gulf of Izmit after rainfall, uses electric motor crane systems to facilitate the collection of garbage accumulated in these barriers.
MARINE ECOSYSTEM IS PROTECTED
The Department of Environmental Protection and Control minimizes the negative effects of floating waste, algae blooms and seaweed breaking off the seabed on the ecosystem through inspection and cleaning activities carried out in the Gulf. In this way, both marine life and coastal areas are protected.
ALL-OUT STRUGGLE FOR THE GULF
The Metropolitan Municipality exhibits an exemplary understanding of municipality with its environmentalist identity in Türkiye. Cleaning works are carried out in shallow and calm waters with the Blue Team Team, Sea Sweepers and Amphibious Vehicles. These works carried out for the protection of the marine ecosystem ensure that the Gulf of Izmit remains clean and healthy, while also securing the life of the living beings in the region. Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality will continue to resolutely continue its projects aimed at protecting the Gulf within the framework of sustainable environmental policies.
