Sustainable Environmental Projects and Campaigns by Ataşehir Municipality
ZERO WASTE PROJECTS AND CAMPAIGNS
Our municipality integrates its waste management activities into the Zero Waste Project, which started in 2018, and carries out sustainable projects and campaigns, which are sloganised as "Blue Cap Campaign", "Let Garbage Be Flowers", "We are aware of Autism, we are with you with Recycling! ", "Winning Waste Battery", "Horeca Glass Friendly Business Project", "A Different Neigh bourhood is Possible - Our Neighbourhood", "Reuse Market", in order to prevent waste, use limited natural resources more efficiently, and draw attention to global environmental problems, primarily our youth and children.
INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE
Ataşehir Municipality has implemented a new project in line with sustainable life. In the application unit of the Innovative Environmental Education Centre, it is aimed to provide children and young people with an applied environmental education opportunity with E-STEM workshops, to increase their environmental awareness and to develop their capacity to produce solutions by understanding the nature of environmental problems.
With the educational activities carried out within İÇEM, it is aimed for secondary/high school students to gain knowledge and awareness about ecology, sustainable life and environmental problems, to strengthen their ties with nature and to develop their skills in integrating STEM disciplines in environmental issues. İÇEM offers the opportunity to experience innovative examples of sustainable living together with applications such as rainwater harvesting, renewable energy systems, aquaponic system, composting and organic farming, which are competent examples of İÇEM.
MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT OF AIR QUALITY
For the first time in Turkey, a mobile air quality monitoring station was established by Ataşehir Municipality in 2016 as a district municipality in order to monitor air pollution quality 24/7 in four seasons and to make measurements in different regions at different times. In this way, measurements of heating, transport and industrial pollution (PM10, PM2.5, NO, NO2, SO2, O3 and CO) and meteorological parameters (wind direction and speed, temperature, pressure, humidity) are continuously measured in the places where measurements are planned to be taken and hourly average values are recorded and shared with the public on our website www.havakalitesi.atasehir.bel.tr. In addition to the existing station, in order to continuously evaluate and reduce the effects of air pollution on the environment and human health in our district, 2 new air quality measuring devices were installed in different regions of Ataşehir in order to measure and evaluate air pollution caused by heating and transport, and the existing monitoring network was expanded. Thus, the data received from the monitoring network will be regularly processed, analysed and shared with the public instantly in order to accurately evaluate urban air quality.
SECAP STUDIES
Our Municipality does not remain insensitive to global warming and climate change, the effects of which are increasingly felt by the whole world; In order to find solutions to the problems of the climate crisis that our district is likely to experience and to progress towards becoming a low-carbon sustainable district by promoting the work carried out by our municipality in the field of combating climate change in the international arena, the Mayors' Agreement was signed in 2019. With the participation of Ataşehir Municipality and district stakeholders, "Ataşehir Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEEP)" was prepared with the aim of reducing energy and greenhouse gas emissions within the scope of the Presidents' Agreement commitments.
According to Ataşehir's inventory including industry in 2019, which is the base year, a total of 3,828,366 MWh and 1,232,861 tCO2e greenhouse gas emissions are realised. According to Ataşehir's inventory excluding industry in 2019
greenhouse gas emissions were calculated as 3,784,406 MWh and 1,217,173 tCO2e. Greenhouse gas emissions of the district
When the inventory of Ataşehir district, excluding industry, is analysed in detail, it is seen that 60% of the total inventory consists of buildings, 29.7% of transportation and 10.1% of other emissions from solid waste and wastewater emissions. With the mitigation measures put forward in the sectors, it was determi ned that Ataşehir's per capita emissions until 2030 can be reduced by approximately 40% in 2030 compared to 2019. In this context, a road map was drawn for Ataşehir, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030.
In 2022, climate change adaptation strategies were developed and a Climate Adaptation Plan was prepared in order to make the city resilient to climate change. Within the scope of this study, the climatic risks, impacts and adaptation actions faced by Ataşehir are put forward as a result of a participatory process by using internationally recognised assessment methods and taking expert opinions. In this direction, the main findings of the district were investigated and a climate adaptation roadmap was completed together with the risk and vulnerability assessment by considering a participatory process. This road map was prepared by organising a workshop with the participation of internal and external stakeholders of Ataşehir Municipality and determining the climatic risks and adaptation actions of the district. In the workshop attended by experts from Ataşehir Municipality and the project team, both climatic risks and vulnerability were discussed and adaptation actions were prioritised.
As a result, Ataşehir adaptation strategy aims to mitigate the felt climate change impacts and improve the quality of urban life. Issues such as management of high and sudden changing temperatures, water resources management, mitigation of flood and flood impacts are emphasised.
Sustainable Energy Action and Climate Adaptation Plan for 2050 is in progress in Ataşehir to ensure climate-friendly urban development that prioritises the efficient use of energy, creates local sustainable economic added value and employment, prioritises energy efficiency, bases energy supply on local renewable energy sources, prioritises the efficient use of energy, and achieves 2050 climate neutral targets.
A DIFFERENT NEIGHBOURHOOD IS POSSIBLE
Launched in 2021, the "A Different Neighbourhood is Possible" project aims to spread throughout the district, starting from the neighbourhoods, which are the smallest settlement units of the city, since a sustainable and climate-friendly urban lifestyle covers all living spaces of individuals, can create an established culture and includes our consumption habits.
With the "A Different Neighbourhood is Possible" project, a sustainable life model is implemented in which reusing instead of consuming, preventing waste before it occurs, transforming it with the upcycling method, and social solidarity and cooperation come to the fore.
Taking these into consideration, our project aims to establish a sustainable lifestyle with environmentally conscious individuals by involving all segments living in the neighbourhood, especially women and children, and by attaching importance to social assistance and solidarity.
Fetih neighbourhood, where 12,000 people live, was chosen as the first implementation point of the project. When the 1-year evaluation report is analysed, it is seen that the targets set in the project have been achieved with the works carried out under five different headings. Improvements in the social structure of the neighbourhood, increase in the amount of recyclable waste collected, and decrease in the amount of household waste showed the applicability of the project.
With the strengthening of the communication between the municipality and the citizens, as of 2022, the project was started in Örnek Neighbourhood selected as the 2nd pilot neighbourhood, İnönü Neighbourhood selected as the 3rd and Kayışdağı Neighbourhood as the 4th neighbourhood. Our goal is to spread this project to all neighbourhoods in our district.
CITY GARDENS
Ataşehir Municipality has implemented the "Urban Orchard" project in order to create a social awareness against the climate crisis and to revitalise the community spirit in individuals who are isolated in urban life. With the project, Ataşehir residents were provided with orchard areas where they can grow their own products by planting and planting periodically and experiencing the peace and satisfaction of producing with natural methods.
Within the scope of this project; citizens who are stuck in urban life had the chance to establish a stronger bond with nature through urban agriculture, and while growing the vegetables they planted with their own hands, they also had the opportunity to access healthy and clean food in a completely natural way in this garden where the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is prohibited.
With the project, which will support the steps taken to leave a more livable world for future generations, Ataşehirlis not only meet their own needs, but also contribute to nature through urban agriculture and permaculture practices and support the fight against the climate crisis.
ENERGY PARK
Ataşehir Municipality, in cooperation with Enerjisa Üretim and with the contributions of IMM, started the construction of a new thematic park in Barbaros Neighbourhood. The energy-themed park, which is being built near Fenerbahçe Ülker Sports and Event Hall, will provide Istanbul with both an innovative and educational area and raise awareness on sustainable energy production.
The park will include interactive areas on how solar, wind and water energy are used to generate electricity, providing a thematic area for visitors who want to explore various methods of energy production. In addition, with sections that explain energy production processes in a visual and practical way, visitors will discover the answers to the question of how to obtain energy from nature.
The energy-themed park will contribute to the green areas of Istanbul and Ataşehir, while providing the city with an important educational centre on sustainable energy. This project, which will offer both children and adults the opportunity to learn about sustainable energy sources, aims to raise environmental awareness.
MOBILE WASTE COLLECTION CENTRE (GREEN POINT)
In order to raise awareness on "Zero Waste" and "Recycling" and to ensure separate collection of waste types, 14 "Mobile Waste Collection Centres" with 2nd class waste collection centre features were placed at various points of Ataşehir.
"Mobile Waste Collection Centre" has 9 different waste collection units including book, paper-cardboard-composite, plastic, metal, glass, plastic cover, waste battery, vegetable waste oil, electronic waste.
There are also USB charging ports for mobile phones and LED information screens in the Mobile Waste Collection Centres, which provide energy for themselves with solar panels.