
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality is working with all its might to protect the Marmara Sea, which is under the threat of mucilage. With the work carried out, Izmit Gulf is both protected and cleaned.
THE STUDIES ARE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE
The threat of mucilage that has resurfaced in the Marmara Sea has once again revealed how vital the calls for the protection of Marmara are. Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahir Büyükakın called on all municipalities in Marmara to do their jobs against the threat he underlined with the words “Marmara is dying”. Stating that the issue was far from ideological discussions, Büyükakın said, “If precautions are not taken and necessary actions are not taken, we will once again be faced with a very big environmental disaster.”
NO WASTEWATER IS RELEASED WITH TREATMENT FACILITIES
So, what measures does the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality take to protect the Marmara Sea? In addition to the two main activities of the Metropolitan Municipality, there are also many side studies. The first of its main activities is the treatment facilities that aim to prevent the Marmara Sea from being polluted. Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality does not allow a drop of wastewater to flow into the Gulf of Izmit with its 23 treatment facilities. Although it causes an energy cost of 700 million TL per year, the Metropolitan Municipality does not give up on operating the treatment facilities.
FROM PROTECTION PHASE TO CLEANING PHASE
The second main activity is “Bottom Mud Cleaning” in Izmit Bay. With the development of industry, the eastern basin of Izmit Bay has turned into a sea of mud with the waste carried from the streams and the ecological balance has been disrupted. The metropolitan municipality is working to eliminate this pollution accumulated over the years with the bottom mud project. The second phase of the project, the first phase of which has been completed, is about to start. Within the scope of the project, 8.500.000 tons of bottom mud will be removed from the sea and disposed of.
WASTE AND GARBAGE ARE DISPOSED BEFORE REACHING THE SEA
On the other hand, the Metropolitan Municipality is collecting waste floating in the Gulf of Izmit with 4 sea surface cleaning boats. Since 2015, 3 amphibious cleaning vehicles have been providing service in coastal areas where sea skimmers cannot approach. 2.500 cubic meters of waste were collected with the Kumla and Kiraz Creek barrier system established to prevent waste from reaching the sea via streams. The Blue Team team, established to clean pollution on the coasts and collect recyclable waste, has also cleaned approximately 66 tons of waste so far. On the other hand, 10 garbage bins were placed under the piers in the Gulf of Izmit to collect floating waste accumulating in the stagnant waters on the coasts, and floating waste accumulating in these areas is being cleaned.
145 THOUSAND CUBIC METERS OF LIQUID WASTE WAS COLLECTED
The metropolitan municipality has been continuing its emergency response efforts to protect the Gulf of Izmit and the Black Sea coast from fossil fuels and other harmful substances since 2012. Waste originating from ships in the Gulf of Izmit has been collected by Licensed Waste Collection Vessels since 2008. To date, approximately 36 thousand sea vessels have been served and approximately 145 thousand cubic meters of liquid waste have been collected. The collected waste is processed at the Licensed Waste Acceptance Facility in Derince Port and added to the economy.
COOPERATION WITH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The metropolitan municipality is monitoring sea and coastal cleanliness in cooperation with national and international organizations. Within the scope of the studies initiated by the European Environment Agency and carried out in Turkey under the coordination of the Turkish Environmental Education Foundation, a total of 22 events were held in “Kandıra Sardala Bay”, “Kandıra Uzunkum Beach” and “Kandıra Kefken Island”. A total of 18.821 pieces of waste were collected from beaches within the scope of the project aiming to monitor marine litter and combat the marine litter problem.
REPORTS ARE BEING CREATED WITH ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY
Studies have been carried out with Istanbul University Institute of Marine Sciences and Management since 2016. Within the scope of the project, the biological formations and related color changes that occur from time to time in the Izmit Bay ecosystem are identified and their causes are revealed, solutions are developed to reduce this situation and/or reduce it to natural levels, and a report is prepared for the studies that can be carried out.
COOPERATION WITH TUBITAK AND METU
Within the scope of the Monitoring of Water Quality in Izmit Bay project, the physical, chemical and biological parameters determining the water quality of Izmit Bay and 2007 streams flowing into the Bay have been examined with the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center since 12. On the other hand, studies have been carried out with the Middle East Technical University Marine Sciences Institute since 2022 to ensure that the marine environment of Izmit Bay reaches a good environmental status and that ecosystem services function in a healthy and sustainable manner.
48 THOUSAND FISH TO IZMIT GULF
In addition to protection and cleaning efforts, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality also carries out activities to support the marine ecosystem in Izmit Bay. In this context, the Metropolitan Municipality released 48 thousand juvenile fish into Izmit Bay and left artificial reefs at various points in Izmit Bay. Thus, the Metropolitan Municipality has also taken steps to support fish release efforts.