Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, 2016
Landfilling is the most preferred solid waste disposal method in Turkey owing to both economic an... more Landfilling is the most preferred solid waste disposal method in Turkey owing to both economic and technical reasons. However, beside the sanitary landfills there are also hundreds of uncontrolled waste sites located throughout Turkey, which are often left either abandoned or burning. Because there is a lack of legislative guidelines governing the closure and rehabilitation of these dumpsites, the municipalities that are responsible for waste management do not initiate the proactive strategies required for the closure of these sites. In this study, a method based on a multi-criteria analysis is conducted for different dumpsites in Turkey to evaluate the level of negative impacts on the environment. This method is based on the use of environmental indices for a quantitative assessment of the landfills, such as environmental interaction between the source and the receptors, environmental values of the receptors, and operational conditions. It was possible to assess the robustness of t...
Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms... more Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms of their contribution to economy. In accordance with the energy policies of Turkish Republic, Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant in Northeastern Turkey have been initiated. In this study, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was conducted in Yusufeli Village to determine the environmental costs of the Yusufeli Project. The purpose is to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) of Yusufeli Village residents for restoration of the environmental impacts of the dam project and also to investigate the underlying economic, psychological, and social motivations for WTP. WTP was calculated as US$761 per person which can further be used in the cost-benefit analysis. The results from the study suggest that application of the CVM in rural and urban areas located in the same region can show differences.
Fethiye-Göcek region, the unique marine area having numerous calm bays for safe and enjoyable nav... more Fethiye-Göcek region, the unique marine area having numerous calm bays for safe and enjoyable navigation, sailing and yachting is one of those Specially Protected Areas in Turkey. Göcek Bay, which has a remarkable tourism potential has became one of the most important destinations of the both Turkish and International blue voyagers. The bays of Göcek are used by significant number of yachts during summer season (May-September). Göcek Bay is the nearest bay having marinas for serving those yachts using the nearby bays. The increase in tourism capacity resulted in increase in economical activities as well as environmental problems. The pollution level of the area is affected by the uncontrolled waste disposals from the yachts, the circulation pattern and ecological characteristics of the area. In a previously conducted study, in order to develop proper management strategies, the number of yachts using Göcek Bay area has been determined. The research project involves the development of state-of-the-art remote sensing tools that will be used in the operational monitoring of the ecosystem and was funded by the Turkish Governmental Agency EPASA and the Middle East Technical University, Ankara. There are two general objectives of the project; (i) the development of an operational environmental surveillance system that makes regular use of optical remote sensing images backed with regularly collected in-situ ground truth data (ii) to characterize the chemical nature of the pollutants through in-situ measurements and design and build a water collection, treatment and discharge system for the domestic and bilge waters of the boats. Seawater samples were collected at 3 locations representing different pollution levels in Göcek Bay. One of the locations is in open sea which represents low pollution level (almost clean water). The concentrations of the measured parameters in seawater are below the limit values indicated in Water Pollution and Control Regulation and relatively high concentration of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen at one location indicate that yacht traffic around that particular location is high. Fecal Coliform concentrations are compared with the mandatory and guide limit values listed in Bathing Water Directive (76/160/AB). Results show that even though fecal colifom (FC) concentrations are below mandatory values, FC concentrations are high above the guide values. This suggests that untreated and uncontrolled dirty water discharged from yachts threaten the biological and chemical integrity of seawater in Göcek Bay area. Results of the analysis of bilge water samples also indicate that high concentrations of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Oil and Grease and hydrocarbons would deteriorate the seawater quality if bilge water is not treated. Results of this preliminary study suggest that yachts with increasing numbers every year in Göcek Bay an attractive bay will continue to threaten seawater quality if necessary measures are not taken. This study is supported by METU Research Grant BAP 07.02.2009.05
Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms... more Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms of their contribution to economy. In accordance with the energy policies of Turkish Republic, Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant in Northeastern Turkey have been initiated. In this study, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was conducted in Yusufeli Village to determine the environmental costs of the Yusufeli Project. The purpose is to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) of Yusufeli Village residents for restoration of the environmental impacts of the dam project and also to investigate the underlying economic, psychological, and social motivations for WTP. WTP was calculated as US$761 per person which can further be used in the cost-benefit analysis. The results from the study suggest that application of the CVM in rural and urban areas located in the same region can show differences.
... Authors: Cizmeli, Ahmet; Alp, Emre; Duzgun, Sebnem; Orek, Hasan; Cevdet Yalciner, Ahmet. ... ... more ... Authors: Cizmeli, Ahmet; Alp, Emre; Duzgun, Sebnem; Orek, Hasan; Cevdet Yalciner, Ahmet. ... the chemical nature of the pollutants through in-situ measurements and design and build a water collection, treatment and discharge system for the domestic and bilge waters of the ...
Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, 2014
Hazardous waste (HW) generation information is an absolute necessity for ensuring the proper plan... more Hazardous waste (HW) generation information is an absolute necessity for ensuring the proper planning, implementation, and monitoring of any waste management system. Unfortunately, environmental agencies in developing countries face difficulties in gathering data directly from the creators of such wastes. It is possible, however, to construct theoretical HW inventories using the waste generation factors (WGFs). The objective of this study was to develop a complete nationwide HW inventory of Turkey that relies on nation-specific WGFs to support management activities of the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanization (MoEU). Inventory studies relied on WGFs from: (a) the literature and (b) field studies and analysis of waste declarations reflecting country-specific industrial practices. Moreover, new tools were introduced to the monitoring infrastructure of MoEU to obtain a comprehensive waste generation data set. Through field studies and a consideration of country specific cond...
Although the Göcek Bay area was declared as a specially protected area by General Directorate of ... more Although the Göcek Bay area was declared as a specially protected area by General Directorate of Natural Assets Protection, the region is threatened because of pollution resulting from increased boat tourism and lack of efficient policies. Extensive measures are being planned in order to protect the region. Coastal management requires the use of technical, social political and economic tools to create a comprehensive management strategy. For environmental investments, it is necessary that benefits and the costs of environmental improvements should be identified in monetary terms in order to determine the feasibility of the investments. The aim of this study is to determine the benefits of the management alternatives to improve environmental quality in Göcek Bay to aid decision makers. In this study, the environmental benefits that can be obtained with improved water quality and restored marine ecosystem were calculated using the Choice Experiment Method, a non-market valuation technique. Data were analyzed using Multinomial Logit Model and the results showed that, local residents and tourists are willing to pay 18TL/month and 16.6TL/tour, respectively for improvements in water quality. For improvements in marine life, local residents are willing to pay 14.8TL/month and tourists are willing to pay 11.2TL/tour. With this study, it has been seen that the results obtained will pave the way for new policies and measures against the deterioration of the marine environment of Göcek Bay.
ABSTRACT Turkey, as a rapidly developing and industrializing country, is in need of reliable, ine... more ABSTRACT Turkey, as a rapidly developing and industrializing country, is in need of reliable, inexpensive, and high quality energy. The main energy sources of Turkey are coal, natural gas and hydropower. However, almost all the natural gas and high quality coal is imported. Thus, hydropower is the main domestic energy source. According to the State Hydraulic Works (SHW), the primary executive state agency responsible for the planning, operation, and management of water resources, Turkey has an economically viable hydroelectric potential of 140,000 GWh/year. Currently, around 35% of this potential is utilized. Increasing the share of hydropower in the energy budget of Turkey will reduce dependency on foreign energy sources. However, development of the unused hydropower potential, especially through run-of-river plants, has caused many problems in the country. Run-of-river plants are small hydropower plants (SHPPs) usually with no storage. Electricity Market Law No. 4628 which came into effect in February 2001 was a major step towards the privatization of the electricity sector. The law enabled planning and construction of SHPPs by the private sector. This created a big market for consulting firms which prepare feasibility reports, construction companies, and companies that own and operate these SHPPs. However, due to inadequate water resources management strategies, rivers are impaired; their natural flows are disturbed to generate electricity without paying necessary attention to components of the ecosystem and the needs and concerns of local residents. Thus, Turkey faces a challenging problem: Maximizing the utilization of hydropower which is the main domestic energy source while maintaining environmentally conscious and sustainable development. This study aims to explain the change in the contribution of hydropower in the energy budget of Turkey with time and current social and environmental problems associated particularly with SHPPs. Issues requiring immediate attention to facilitate sustainable development of hydropower potential are identified.
Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, 2016
Landfilling is the most preferred solid waste disposal method in Turkey owing to both economic an... more Landfilling is the most preferred solid waste disposal method in Turkey owing to both economic and technical reasons. However, beside the sanitary landfills there are also hundreds of uncontrolled waste sites located throughout Turkey, which are often left either abandoned or burning. Because there is a lack of legislative guidelines governing the closure and rehabilitation of these dumpsites, the municipalities that are responsible for waste management do not initiate the proactive strategies required for the closure of these sites. In this study, a method based on a multi-criteria analysis is conducted for different dumpsites in Turkey to evaluate the level of negative impacts on the environment. This method is based on the use of environmental indices for a quantitative assessment of the landfills, such as environmental interaction between the source and the receptors, environmental values of the receptors, and operational conditions. It was possible to assess the robustness of t...
Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms... more Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms of their contribution to economy. In accordance with the energy policies of Turkish Republic, Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant in Northeastern Turkey have been initiated. In this study, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was conducted in Yusufeli Village to determine the environmental costs of the Yusufeli Project. The purpose is to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) of Yusufeli Village residents for restoration of the environmental impacts of the dam project and also to investigate the underlying economic, psychological, and social motivations for WTP. WTP was calculated as US$761 per person which can further be used in the cost-benefit analysis. The results from the study suggest that application of the CVM in rural and urban areas located in the same region can show differences.
Fethiye-Göcek region, the unique marine area having numerous calm bays for safe and enjoyable nav... more Fethiye-Göcek region, the unique marine area having numerous calm bays for safe and enjoyable navigation, sailing and yachting is one of those Specially Protected Areas in Turkey. Göcek Bay, which has a remarkable tourism potential has became one of the most important destinations of the both Turkish and International blue voyagers. The bays of Göcek are used by significant number of yachts during summer season (May-September). Göcek Bay is the nearest bay having marinas for serving those yachts using the nearby bays. The increase in tourism capacity resulted in increase in economical activities as well as environmental problems. The pollution level of the area is affected by the uncontrolled waste disposals from the yachts, the circulation pattern and ecological characteristics of the area. In a previously conducted study, in order to develop proper management strategies, the number of yachts using Göcek Bay area has been determined. The research project involves the development of state-of-the-art remote sensing tools that will be used in the operational monitoring of the ecosystem and was funded by the Turkish Governmental Agency EPASA and the Middle East Technical University, Ankara. There are two general objectives of the project; (i) the development of an operational environmental surveillance system that makes regular use of optical remote sensing images backed with regularly collected in-situ ground truth data (ii) to characterize the chemical nature of the pollutants through in-situ measurements and design and build a water collection, treatment and discharge system for the domestic and bilge waters of the boats. Seawater samples were collected at 3 locations representing different pollution levels in Göcek Bay. One of the locations is in open sea which represents low pollution level (almost clean water). The concentrations of the measured parameters in seawater are below the limit values indicated in Water Pollution and Control Regulation and relatively high concentration of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen at one location indicate that yacht traffic around that particular location is high. Fecal Coliform concentrations are compared with the mandatory and guide limit values listed in Bathing Water Directive (76/160/AB). Results show that even though fecal colifom (FC) concentrations are below mandatory values, FC concentrations are high above the guide values. This suggests that untreated and uncontrolled dirty water discharged from yachts threaten the biological and chemical integrity of seawater in Göcek Bay area. Results of the analysis of bilge water samples also indicate that high concentrations of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Oil and Grease and hydrocarbons would deteriorate the seawater quality if bilge water is not treated. Results of this preliminary study suggest that yachts with increasing numbers every year in Göcek Bay an attractive bay will continue to threaten seawater quality if necessary measures are not taken. This study is supported by METU Research Grant BAP 07.02.2009.05
Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms... more Hydroelectric power plants and dams often play an important role in developing countries in terms of their contribution to economy. In accordance with the energy policies of Turkish Republic, Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant in Northeastern Turkey have been initiated. In this study, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was conducted in Yusufeli Village to determine the environmental costs of the Yusufeli Project. The purpose is to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) of Yusufeli Village residents for restoration of the environmental impacts of the dam project and also to investigate the underlying economic, psychological, and social motivations for WTP. WTP was calculated as US$761 per person which can further be used in the cost-benefit analysis. The results from the study suggest that application of the CVM in rural and urban areas located in the same region can show differences.
... Authors: Cizmeli, Ahmet; Alp, Emre; Duzgun, Sebnem; Orek, Hasan; Cevdet Yalciner, Ahmet. ... ... more ... Authors: Cizmeli, Ahmet; Alp, Emre; Duzgun, Sebnem; Orek, Hasan; Cevdet Yalciner, Ahmet. ... the chemical nature of the pollutants through in-situ measurements and design and build a water collection, treatment and discharge system for the domestic and bilge waters of the ...
Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, 2014
Hazardous waste (HW) generation information is an absolute necessity for ensuring the proper plan... more Hazardous waste (HW) generation information is an absolute necessity for ensuring the proper planning, implementation, and monitoring of any waste management system. Unfortunately, environmental agencies in developing countries face difficulties in gathering data directly from the creators of such wastes. It is possible, however, to construct theoretical HW inventories using the waste generation factors (WGFs). The objective of this study was to develop a complete nationwide HW inventory of Turkey that relies on nation-specific WGFs to support management activities of the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanization (MoEU). Inventory studies relied on WGFs from: (a) the literature and (b) field studies and analysis of waste declarations reflecting country-specific industrial practices. Moreover, new tools were introduced to the monitoring infrastructure of MoEU to obtain a comprehensive waste generation data set. Through field studies and a consideration of country specific cond...
Although the Göcek Bay area was declared as a specially protected area by General Directorate of ... more Although the Göcek Bay area was declared as a specially protected area by General Directorate of Natural Assets Protection, the region is threatened because of pollution resulting from increased boat tourism and lack of efficient policies. Extensive measures are being planned in order to protect the region. Coastal management requires the use of technical, social political and economic tools to create a comprehensive management strategy. For environmental investments, it is necessary that benefits and the costs of environmental improvements should be identified in monetary terms in order to determine the feasibility of the investments. The aim of this study is to determine the benefits of the management alternatives to improve environmental quality in Göcek Bay to aid decision makers. In this study, the environmental benefits that can be obtained with improved water quality and restored marine ecosystem were calculated using the Choice Experiment Method, a non-market valuation technique. Data were analyzed using Multinomial Logit Model and the results showed that, local residents and tourists are willing to pay 18TL/month and 16.6TL/tour, respectively for improvements in water quality. For improvements in marine life, local residents are willing to pay 14.8TL/month and tourists are willing to pay 11.2TL/tour. With this study, it has been seen that the results obtained will pave the way for new policies and measures against the deterioration of the marine environment of Göcek Bay.
ABSTRACT Turkey, as a rapidly developing and industrializing country, is in need of reliable, ine... more ABSTRACT Turkey, as a rapidly developing and industrializing country, is in need of reliable, inexpensive, and high quality energy. The main energy sources of Turkey are coal, natural gas and hydropower. However, almost all the natural gas and high quality coal is imported. Thus, hydropower is the main domestic energy source. According to the State Hydraulic Works (SHW), the primary executive state agency responsible for the planning, operation, and management of water resources, Turkey has an economically viable hydroelectric potential of 140,000 GWh/year. Currently, around 35% of this potential is utilized. Increasing the share of hydropower in the energy budget of Turkey will reduce dependency on foreign energy sources. However, development of the unused hydropower potential, especially through run-of-river plants, has caused many problems in the country. Run-of-river plants are small hydropower plants (SHPPs) usually with no storage. Electricity Market Law No. 4628 which came into effect in February 2001 was a major step towards the privatization of the electricity sector. The law enabled planning and construction of SHPPs by the private sector. This created a big market for consulting firms which prepare feasibility reports, construction companies, and companies that own and operate these SHPPs. However, due to inadequate water resources management strategies, rivers are impaired; their natural flows are disturbed to generate electricity without paying necessary attention to components of the ecosystem and the needs and concerns of local residents. Thus, Turkey faces a challenging problem: Maximizing the utilization of hydropower which is the main domestic energy source while maintaining environmentally conscious and sustainable development. This study aims to explain the change in the contribution of hydropower in the energy budget of Turkey with time and current social and environmental problems associated particularly with SHPPs. Issues requiring immediate attention to facilitate sustainable development of hydropower potential are identified.
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