“We experienced a trailer”: Flood danger awaiting Istanbul

The guests of the program are climate scientist Prof. Dr. Barbaros Gönençgil and meteorologist Dilek Çalışkan evaluated why increasing precipitation turned into a disaster in cities.

Evaluating the flood disasters in Istanbul, Prof. Dr. Barbaros Gönençgil pointed out that rainwater cannot find space to percolate into the ground. Interpreting the events as a sign of disasters that may be encountered in the future, Gönençgil said, "We experienced a trailer in Istanbul." Stating that warming continues, the climate scientist emphasized the effects of deforestation, drying of wetlands and urbanization on the climate. Stating that urban transformation should not focus only on earthquakes, Gönençgil stated that disasters such as floods and landslides should also be taken into account in city planning. Reminding the flood disaster in Kastamonu Bozkurt, Gönençgil stated that the natural floodplains of the streams are known, but this is not taken into account sufficiently in the construction.

Meteorologist Dilek Çalışkan explained that the same amount of precipitation does not produce the same results in every region. He stated that the 26 kilograms of rain that fell in Arnavutköy in Istanbul in a short time could cause problems if it fell in Ayazağa, where construction is dense. Drawing attention to the importance of soil areas, Çalışkan said, "The place where it falls is very important" and emphasized that concreting increases the flow of rainwater to the surface flow.