Page 82 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 2

Resilient Cities In Turkey For Sustainable
Economic Development

When natural disasters take place, areas where the physical structures such
as natural paths as well as built roads, structures and infrastructure systems are
not resilient will be vulnerable against natural disasters. Because of the sudden
pressure, it will be hard for such structures to survive in case of a natural disaster,
and to maintain their existing functions. If the physical structure is not resilient
against natural disasters, the city will be vulnerable (Godschalk, 2003: 137).

3. The Effects of Natural Disasters on Cities

The urban population around the world is increasing every passing day.
The expansion of urban areas and the shrinking of rural areas lead to the
destruction of green areas. Changes in natural vegetation leads to changes
in climate. The negative effects of global climate change have reached an
alarming rate. The natural disasters that take place due to climate change
lead to serious losses of life and property, also affecting the sectors such as
manufacture, transport, health, trade, agriculture, livestock breeding, etc.
Natural disasters are increasingly becoming a global threat. There is also a
large amount of economic damage due to natural disasters in all countries.
Because of the global climate change, there has been a recent increase in
the number and intensity of natural disasters. A case in point is the increase
in the intensity of rain around the world. As a result, there have been more
frequent floods in the cities, causing a great deal of damage. Experts predict
that the increase in the frequency and intensity of precipitation will continue
in the future. In addition to floods, cities also face the threat of drought. Due
to drought, it is stated that one out of four cities in the world may experience
water scarcity. If the climate change continues in the future, the water scarcity
will exponentially increase as well (McDonald, R.I. et al, 2014: 97). For this
reason, the effects of climate change in the cities should be identified and
adaptation and mitigation practices should be put to use (Gago et al, 2013:
751). The rise in the extreme weather conditions due to climate change affects
cities more than the country. Thus, climate change poses a threat to cities.
The demand on water resources has increased in line with urbanization. There
is an increase in this demand with each passing day. With the rise of migration
and climate change, the gap between the supply and demand for water is
getting bigger. For this reason, the water supplies should be used efficiently
Therefore, it is also really important to implement studies on the efficient
use of water supplies in the planning of resilient cities. Thus, the waste water
and rainwater in the cities should be collected, stored and reused, and water
management should be maintained through the use of smart technologies.

Year 1 / Issue 2 / July 2022 68