A signing ceremony was held for the Izmir Province Integrated Coastal Areas Planning Project. Yavuz Erdal Kayapınar, Director General of Spatial Planning of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Selma Tosun, Deputy Director General and Dr. Bahar Eser, Head of Spatial Strategies and Environmental Plans Department, Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy, President of TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center, Assoc. Dr. Özgen Ercan, Vice President of Climate and Life Sciences and Assoc. Dr. İbrahim Tan, Leader of Marine Research and Technologies Research Group attended the ceremony.
The project aims to address the city's coastal areas, particularly the Gulfs of Izmir and Nemrut, with an integrated approach that includes environmental, social and economic dimensions. Protection of the coastal ecosystem, sustainable use of natural resources, planning of transportation infrastructure and development of management strategies are among the main objectives of the project.
Sustainable Coastal Management with Scientific Power
Turkey's scientific powerhouse TÜBİTAK MAM will undertake the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based data management, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Marine Spatial Planning processes as the contractor organization in the project. MAM's expertise in environmental and marine sciences will directly contribute to the strategic planning process that will shape the future of Izmir's coast.
480-Day Roadmap
The project will last a total of 480 days between July 07, 2025 and October 30, 2026. In the works to be carried out in four stages;
* In the preparation phase, detailed programs will be created, drone surveys will be carried out from the sea, and stakeholder analyses will be prepared.
* During the research phase, institutional opinions, surveys, coastal-sea surveys, analysis and synthesis reports and visual documents will be produced.
* Plan sheets and reports based on two different scenarios will be developed during the alternative draft plan phase.
* In the final phase, plan provisions and reports will be prepared, including all strategies, objectives and management decisions.
Contribution to Turkey's Coastal Management Vision
When the project, which will be carried out with a strategic planning approach, is completed, Izmir's coasts will set an example not only on a local scale but also in terms of Turkey's coastal management vision. A sustainable model that balances environmental protection, economic development and social benefits will be put forward, ensuring that the coasts will be carried safely into the future.
