Page 257 - Çevre Şehir ve İklim Dergisi İngilizce - Özel Sayı

Aynur Güneş Yilmaz - Onur Beyazoğlu
Bayram Hopur - Emre Yavuz

of urban heat islands but also in reducing the existing effects. In the process
of adapting cities to climate change, planning sustainable and green
infrastructure projects in integration with blue infrastructure works plays an
important role in reducing urban heat island effects (Yüksel and Hepcan, 2023).
Afforestation in urban environments that are ecologically and topographically
suitable creates wind barriers and increases evapotranspiration, thereby
improving the thermal comfort of city centers (Gül and Küçük, 2001). When
afforestation is carried out in larger and more expansive areas, long-term
solutions are achieved, and the climate is regulated over a wide area.
Therefore, it is recommended that afforestation efforts to combat the urban
heat island effect should be carried out simultaneously in city centers and
surrounding areas, designed through joint proposals and planning from
different professional disciplines, and coordinated through collaboration
between central and local governments.

4. Discussion

Reinforced concrete structures, along with factors such as increased
population and traffic density, can cause the climate effects in urban areas to differ
from those in rural areas. The most prominent factor among these differences
is temperature variation. Urban afforestation and other landscaping efforts
help reduce the negative impacts caused by temperature variations. These
types of green spaces have a cooling effect that reduces high temperatures.
According to a study, the temperature differences between an afforested area
within a city and a nearby area without afforestation was compared, and it was
found that temperatures were up to 9 °F (5 ℃) lower as a combined result of
evapotranspiration and shading effects (Akbari and Davis, 2012).
Accurately assessing the impact of afforestation projects aimed at reducing
the urban heat island effect requires the analysis of quantitative data collected
periodically through field studies and the development of simulation models
that utilize this data. It is planned that these processes will be supported
by the projects conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and
Climate Change and the General Directorate of Combating Desertification
and Erosion. The General Directorate of Combating Desertification and
Erosion aims to minimize the negative effects of climate change through such
initiatives and contribute to making cities more climate-resilient.
By expanding such initiatives, significant steps will be taken towards
addressing urban challenges with nature-based, sustainable solutions and
reducing the environmental impacts of urbanization, thus contributing to the
achievement of the 11th goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals for 2030: “Sustainable cities and communities” (UN, 2015).

244 Journal of Environment, Urban and Climate