"Strengthening the Environmental Inspection Capacity of the Marmara Sea Basin Project" Started

by Behlül Kula | Nov 29, 2021

In order to solve the mucilage problem and to control pollution in the Sea of Marmara, an effective and basin-specific environmental control system should be established and implemented in accordance with the recently stated action plan. In this respect, “Strengthening the Environmental Inspection Capacity of the Marmara Sea Basin Project” was launched in October 2021 by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of TR in order to increase the effectiveness of environmental inspection practices carried out and to determine the measures to be taken in order to ensure unity in practice in the "Marmara Sea Hydrological Basin", which constitutes the sub-basins of the Marmara and the Susurluk River Basins that discharge into the Marmara Sea.

news7-1 news7-2

Project Title: Strengthening the Environmental Inspection Capacity of the Marmara Sea Basin Project
Project Type: The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change
Project Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Erdem Görgün

Abstract: The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of TR announced a comprehensive Action Plan on 6 June 2021 in order to combat the mucilage problem observed in the Marmara Sea within the first half of 2021. The "Marmara Sea Action Plan", which consists of 22 articles, contains significant emphasis on controlling and supervising the wastewater resources discharged into the Marmara Sea. As of 5 November 2021, the "Marmara Sea and the Islands" has been declared as a "Special Environmental Protection Area". In order to solve the mucilage problem and to control pollution in the Sea of Marmara, an effective and basin-specific environmental control system should be established and implemented in accordance with the recently stated action plan. In this respect, “Strengthening the Environmental Inspection Capacity of the Marmara Sea Basin Project” was launched in October 2021 by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of TR in order to increase the effectiveness of environmental inspection practices carried out and to determine the measures to be taken in order to ensure unity in practice in the "Marmara Sea Hydrological Basin", which constitutes the sub-basins of the Marmara and the Susurluk River Basins that discharge into the Marmara Sea. Within the scope of the project, studies on revising the subject-based checklists currently used in the environmental audit practices, creating sectoral-based checklists, reviewing minimum criteria in environmental audits, preparing wastewater audit plans for Tekirdağ, İstanbul, Kocaeli, Yalova, Bursa, Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces and on searching the utility of using remote sensing technologies in the audits are being carried out. The Project is conducted under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Erdem GÖRGÜN and under the management of Prof. Dr. Asude HANEDAR with researchers from 3 different universities and different disciplines, namely İTÜ, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University (TNKÜ), Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University (BŞEÜ), and carried out in cooperation with senior experts from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, General Directorate of Environmental Impact Assessment, Permission and Inspection, and with experienced environmental auditors from relevant provinces. The project was also presented internationally with a side event promoting the project at the COP26 Climate Change summit held in Glasgow on November 10, 2021 and our University was represented successfully.

İTÜ Faculty of Civil Engineering

It can be accepted that the history of ITU Civil Engineering Faculty was commenced in 1727 by the establishment of Humbarahane during the era of Damat İbrahim Paşa. However, this attempt was to no avail due to the martyrization of the studwents of this school by the Janissaries.

In 1734, during the grand viziership of Topal Osman Paşa, classes related to Civil Engineering was being taught in Hendesehane, which was founded in Üsküdar. Similarly, this school was also closed after three years due to the opposition of the Janissaries. The reasons of the tragedy that occured in Battle of Chesma, 1770 were inadequacy of the ships and the ignorance of the Ottoman Navy.

Although the Atlantic Map (1513) and the Map of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea (1523) by Piri Reis were the leading pieces of the era, Ottoman viziers were so ignorant that they claimed it was impossible for the Russian Baltic Fleet to reach the Mediterranean Sea assuming that there were no sea connection. With the proposal from Gazi Hasan Paşa and Baron de Tott, Mühendishane-i Bahri-i Humayun was established during the time of Sultan Mustafa III, aiming to train naval construction engineers. Since Ottoman Empire did not have any engineering schools at the time, military engineering classes were taught by French engineers beginning from 1784. French lecturers had to return to their country in 1788 with the increasing suppression from Austria and Russia, which were unwilling for the development and thriving of Ottoman Empire. In 1759, during the Grand Viziership of Koca Ragıp Paşa, Humbarahane was reopened in Karaağaç, Haliç (Golden Horn) and continued to teach even though it was incompetent. In 1792, Lağımcı Ocağı and Humbaracı Ocağı (Guild of Sappers) were established.