Turkish Floods Highlight Need for Adaptation

Turkey's Thracian region and the capital Istanbul this week received a month's worth of rainfall during two days, or four times the total amount of average precipitation for this entire month, causing massive flooding that led to the death of 30 people and widespread damage estimated at USD90 million dollars. Turkey's Meteorology Institute recorded 13.2 centimetres of rain fell in the area.

This week's floods follow flash floods in July that killed at least six people in the north-eastern province of Artvin, and inundated more than 100 homes and businesses in the Black Sea province of Giresun.

"The insufficiency of water-absorbing green areas and forests in the heart of the city is another factor that blocks water in the midst of concrete," said Dr. Filiz Demirayak, CEO of WWF-Turkey. "In the periphery of Istanbul and Tekirdað river beds have been narrowed down, filled up by residential and industrial areas, thus blocking natural flood control mechanisms. The local municipalities and the government need to resolve the infrastructural problems of the city and prepare climate adaptation plan immediately."

WWF warns that weather-related problems such as floods could worsen because of climate change unless ecological flood prevention techniques are adopted. These consist of river delta conservation and forest conservation. In addition, urban settlements along river beds must be closely monitored.

"Ecological flood management is the safest and most cost-effective solution," said Dr. Demirayak. "If future damage is to be prevented, the climate change adaptation process has to start immediately."