The 2th Periodic Meeting of the “Developing Common Understanding and Awareness in the Context of a Resilient Society Against Multiple Hazards and Disaster Risks (C5IMPRESS)” project, carried out with the active participation of Ordu Metropolitan Municipality and supported by the European Commission Horizon Europe Program, was successfully held in Ordu with the participation of international partners.
The two-day meeting held at the Ordu Metropolitan Municipality Council Hall was attended by project partners from Türkiye, Greece, Portugal, Spain, France and the UK. During the meeting, the work carried out within the scope of the project was evaluated in detail, progress was shared and the activities planned to be implemented in the upcoming period were meticulously discussed. In a significant part of the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to examine on-site the system established within the scope of the project in Ordu, which provides early warning against flood risk.
Ordu, as Türkiye's Pilot Province, Produces Solutions Against Disasters
Within the scope of the C2IMPRESS project, which was tested in four different pilot regions in Europe and developed solutions specific to these regions, the focus is particularly on flood and landslide risks in Ordu, which was selected as a pilot province in Türkiye. In the other pilot regions of the project, studies are being carried out on heat waves, fires and earthquakes in Greece; coastal and river flooding in Portugal; and flood and fire risks in Spain. This diversity increases the potential of the project to produce applicable solutions against similar disaster risks in different geographies.
Early Warning System at Civil Creek Wins International Delegation's Admiration
As part of the meeting, project partners had the opportunity to closely observe an important application implemented in Ordu. One of the early warning systems established in the Civil Creek sub-basin, which collects water level data from three different points and sends early warnings against a possible flood risk, was examined on-site as part of the program. It was observed that this system, which works in integration with the Ordu Metropolitan Municipality Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) system and the project's special platform, achieved successful results in reducing the flood risk in the region. The international delegation's close examination of this system revealed Ordu's innovative approach in disaster management and the concrete benefits of the project.
Building Disaster-Resilient Societies with International Cooperation
The 5th General Assembly Meeting, which was successfully completed in Ordu, further strengthened the strong cooperation between the project partners and once again emphasized the importance of the steps taken towards the goal of creating disaster-resistant societies. The sharing of knowledge and experience of experts from different countries makes significant contributions to the overall success of the project.
Ordu Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Celal Tezcan, in his speech at the meeting, drew attention to the fact that the world is getting older and said, “In an aging world, it is necessary to use science to take precautions for people. The following advice must be given to those who establish cities and establish new settlements: not every part of the world is a residential area. We used to experience landslides frequently in Ordu, and we have reduced their effects with the precautions we have taken in recent years. Landslides occur frequently in our region, and 90 percent of these are due to human error. Every tree cut down in rural areas without conducting geological studies returns to us as a landslide.” Deputy Mayor Tezcan emphasized the critical role of protecting the natural balance and acting in light of scientific data in reducing disaster risks.
SAMPAŞ Holding Project Coordinator Güreken: “The Project is Being Implemented Successfully in Ordu”
SAMPAŞ Holding European Union Projects Team Leader Cenk Güreken, who undertook the coordination of the project, stated that the project has been successfully implemented in Ordu since 2022. Güreken said, “The main purpose of this project is to create cities that are resilient and safe against natural disasters caused by climate change. Ordu is one of our pilot cities within the scope of the project. With the project, we are trying to prepare Ordu against flood and landslide disasters. In this context, 3 early warning systems were established on the Civil stream. These stations have been producing data for 1 year.” Güreken also stated that they brought the project to Ordu and that they were pleased to work with Ordu due to their previous successful European Union projects.
Praise from International Partners to Ordu Metropolitan Municipality
Katherine Freissinet, Research, Development and Innovation Manager of France-based International Consultancy Company ARTELIA, and Social Expert Alexandra Jaumouille also emphasized that Ordu played an important role in the project, saying, “C2IMPRESS is a very ambitious and innovative research project that aims to better understand multi-hazard risks. Many stakeholders and many sample application areas have been included in the project. Ordu also played a very important role in this project. A dialogue area was created between stakeholders from different areas throughout the project. We are very happy to work with Ordu Metropolitan Municipality.” The satisfaction of international partners with the cooperation with Ordu Metropolitan Municipality is considered an important indicator of the success of the project.
