Cengiz Aktar and Barış Gençer Baykan
Housing, transportation and energy projects, which form the basis of the development initiatives in the recent years, are not seeking environmental and social sustainability. In order to meet energy requirements investments are being made on fossil fuel instead of renewable energy resources; protected areas are being opened up; and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures are being bypassed. As urban transformation is not being pursued through a participatory approach, it may lead to violations of housing and shelter rights. While achievements in the field of environmental protection are being undermined, efforts are being made to exempt from judicial supervision the projects that will inflict serious environmental damage.
As understood in cases such as Nature Law, Urban Transformation Law, 2B Law, administrative framework for Nuclear power plants, HEPPs, stay on execution and EIA exemption; administrative and legal tools of the development policy are not eco-friendly. On the other hand, policies on climate change are also being put off due to concerns that they will hamper development.
It is well known that the blind faith which believes in unrestrained growth is doomed. Yet, the human arrogance defending that the system will survive in any case is delaying awareness and consciousness in this field. In Turkey, development is based on consumption; a careless, outdated and unrestrained economic model. This signals a disaster for Turkey’s natural, cultural and urban heritage. We are facing a huge construction wave which is being carried out in a disorderly fashion in the absence of any consultation, supervision, and human and nature perspective. While there is energy, construction and unjust earnings –which feed one another- on one side of the scale, there is nature, human perspective, urbanisation and civilisation on the other. The projects developed in the recent years, which accelerated the process of capitalizing on natural assets are not taking on board environmental and social sustainability. Nuclear power plants, fossil fuel power plants, hydroelectric power plants, 3rd Airport, 2nd Istanbul City, Channel Istanbul, Taksim project, 3rd Bridge, OVIT – the longest tunnel to connect the Black Sea region to Anatolia are just to name a few. In this research brief, we will address the state of play concerning development policy tools which threaten natural assets as well as the cultural and urban heritage.
doc. ResearchBrief138
pdf. ResearchBrief138