September 11th, 2009. In Istanbul, the Ayamama River- which annoyingly enough does not appear on googlemaps- has been dealing with the aftermath of flash flooding and storms that occurred on the 9th. Some locals are blaming the government for building a metro rail and displacing a large amount of debris onto the city below and causing the streams to flood due to congestion. The Government is blaming poor urbanization planning that aloud people to build their homes in the flooding regions. The media is blaming the residents for building without building codes and causing the river to not be able to drain properly. Talks for a major adjustment in the zoning of this area may soon be in effect as the city and residents may not be aloud to continue building on these sites. Also, the poor may not be able to afford to cover for this lose or move away from these flood zones.
Istanbul has been increasing steadily in population since the 1970’s when factory jobs became more widely available. Villages and forests were exposed to construction. It is said that 65% of the buildings in Istanbul are built without city planning. Before the recent flooding, the lack of planning has been an issue for debate as the province is located near the North Anatolian fault line. Issues with to the construction of sea walls and homes can lead to an increase in deaths caused by the natural disasters.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/12/content_12042980.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUcWnBf-uYg&feature=player_embedded
No comments:
Post a Comment