FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do
not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency
(EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Water pollution and Green
Areas
15th to
19 th May, 2023
Vagos, Portugal
 WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution is the contamination
of water sources by substances which
make the water unusable for drinking,
cooking, cleaning, swimming or
other activities. It is the pollution seen in
water-bearing basins such as lakes, rivers,
oceans, sea and formation waters.
It causes many deaths and epidemics,
the extinction of various species and biological communities.
Main Causes of Water Pollution
It is sometimes caused by nature.
Volcanoes, excessive algae growth,
winds and earthquakes are among
the causes of naturally occurring
water pollution. However, the most
common cause of poor quality water
is human activity and its consequences,
which we will now focus on.
Global Warming : Rising global temperatures caused by
CO2 (carbon dioxide gas) emissions heat the water, reducing its
oxygen content.
Deforestation : Felling forests can exhaust water resources and
generate organic residue which becomes a breeding ground for
harmful bacteria.
Industry, agriculture and livestock farming: Chemical dumping
from these sectors is one of the main causes of eutrophication of
water.
Rubbish and faecal water dumping : The UN says that more
than 80% of the world's sewage finds its way into seas and rivers
untreated.
Maritime traffic : Much of the plastic pollution in the seas and
oceans comes from fishing boats, tankers and cargo shipping.
Fuel spillages : The transportation and storage of oil and its
derivatives is subject to leakage that pollutes our water resources.
Water Pollution in Türkiye
Industrialization, urbanization,
tourism sector and rapid population
increase in Türkiye are main reasons
causing the water around to be
polluted.
Lakes and rivers are essential in
Türkiye for drinking water supply and
irrigation. Thus, the potential of their
water resources and the quality of it
are critically important. However, the
release of domestic and industrial
wastewater into the rivers and lakes
has a negative affect on the quality
of water .
Turkish seas, like all other marine environments, are affected by
household waste and land-based pollution. Most coasts are threatened
by the discharge of untreated waste into marine environments.
Advanced treatment of wastewater is necessary for discharging
wastewater into marine environments but advanced treatment
facilities for wastewater are insufficient.

All the coastal municipalities

must invest in proper treatment
technology and protect seas.
Before discharging, treated
wastewater can be considered
for other uses such as irrigation
and industrial cooling.
Effects of Water Pollution
Water pollution causes ,
• Destruction of biodiversity
• Contamination of the food chain
• Lack of potable water
• Infant mortality
• Diseases
What Should We Do to Prevent Water
Pollution?
• What you can do at home and outside to prevent water pollution?
Use less water(Do not waste). Use water-saving devices on sinks, in
toilets, and in showers. Take short showers instead of baths. Do not run
the water constantly while brushing your teeth. Wash clothes when you
have a full load of laundry. Only water your lawn and plants when
absolutely necessary.
Have your water checked for lead contamination: Many homes have
lead pipes or lead around connections on the pipes which carry water
to their homes. Since this lead may enter your drinking water and
cause medical problems in young children, you might want to have the
water tested. If lead is present, installing a filter may solve the
problem.
Avoid pouring chemicals down the drain: Use fewer
chemicals and cleaners. If necessary, use biodegradable
cleaners. Do not pour oil or other chemicals into the
drainage system on the street.
Do not pollute outdoor water sources: A little oil
can kill many plants and animals. Do not litter,
especially near water. Do not use pesticides on lawns,
or use only organic ones. Use less fertilizer, also.
 GREEN AREAS
Public spaces such as parks, conservation areas, greenways, trails,
urban and rural forests, street trees, community gardens are types of
green areas. Green spaces provide huge benefits to physical and
mental health and they reduce heat and pollution inside cities.
Forests are the most important parts of the green areas so we will
focus on forests and deforestation.
Deforestation
Deforestation is one of the most important
environmental problems. It is defined as permanently
cutting trees and clearing forest areas for land use
purposes. The cleared area is then used for housing
schemes, industries, farms, etc.
Causes of deforestation
Logging for firewood: Trees are
cut for firewood.
Logging for Construction and
Commercial Uses: Logging is
often carried out for
construction and commercial
uses.
Urbanization: Increasing the human population leads to
urbanization which results in cutting down of trees from
forested areas to make new housing societies.
Agriculture: Deforestation is also connected to agriculture
activities. A huge land area is cleared for crop cultivation.
Clearing Land for Grazing/Farms: Forest cover is often cleared
for turning the land areas into farms.
Mining: It involves cutting trees and clearing land for mining
activities.
EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION
Deforestation causes;
• Climate Change
• Global Warming
• Soil Erosion
• Floods
• Habitat Destruction
• Changes in Water Cycle
• Species extinction
• Droughts
Deforestation in Türkiye
All over the world, deforestation is a significant environmental
problem. Türkiye also have that problem. Increasing demand to
power(mining), urbanization, accidental forest fires, and
governmental policies have affected green areas in Türkiye.
Overpopulation pushes people to find new residential areas and
energy resources.
Besides, wildfires cause too much deforestation in Türkiye.
At the end of July 2021, a wild fire started in (our city)Manavgat,
Antalya. This fire couldn’t easily controlled because of weather
conditions.The fire spread around quickly. The area was a residential
area, there were many houses. 1192 houses damaged or totally
burned, 6 people and dozens of animals died during that fire. The fire
burned nearly 60 thousand hectare area.
Solutions to deforestation
Formulating and implementing laws against illegal deforestation is the
key point to prevent deforestation.
1. Protecting trees: Trees should be protected because they absorb
carbon dioxide reducing greenhouse effects and release oxygen
that is essential for human survival.
2. Reforestation/Afforestation: This is not the ultimate
solution but reforestation/afforestation might help increasing
forest cover.
3. Recycling: Recycling and reusing discarded material will
prevent cutting trees for wood.
4. Land Use Planning: Deforestation can be controlled to
some extent with adequate land use planning.
5. Laws and Regulation: There should be strict
implementation of laws and regulations against illegal
logging and destruction of green areas.
THANK YOU!