The ground is collapsing: “If we don’t take preventative measures, Izmir will be flooded in the future.”
“When you build a building, you should raise its level.”
According to the professor, during the rains of November 26-27, 2023, which affected the city, water infiltrated in Alsancak up to about 300-400 meters. Dr. Yaşar said, “This is a warning, because next time more water will come in. Shells can be seen in Basmane from thousands of years ago. Once upon a time, it was the sea. No matter how much we fill the sea, if we do not take precautions, the sea will come and fill up the place while the building is being built.” The need to raise the elevation There was a statement in 1873 while the length of the cordon was being built. The tender specifications published in the Yanık Yurt newspaper in 1927 stated that “it will be built at least 1.5 meters above the maximum tide level,” and “The same is written in the İzmir Luhtum Concession Book of Çevat Korkut Hoca. Alsancak collapsed between 1 and 1.5 meters. After the November rains, it collapsed and a lot of water entered,” he said.
He said a similar situation exists in Jakarta and Mexico City. “The collapse there is much faster. It is collapsing by 10 to 15 centimetres per year. They have found a solution by evacuating the area and are slowly moving away from it because it is impossible to deal with the speed of nature,” Dr. Yashar said.
“It’s not a matter of preference. It should be slowly abandoned.”
Prof. Dr. Dogan Yaşar said that Izmir’s biggest problem is collapse, and that “Izmir’s biggest problem is not transportation, the smell of the bay, pollution or anything. There is only one event in the long term – collapse. The collapse will continue.” If preventive measures are not taken, seawater can reach Basmane in 50 years. Right now, there is a sewage smell in Alsancak, which is why the second cordon will be flooded. The cord remains in the hole. The municipality needs to work with geoscientists to conduct a detailed study of the collapse. 50 years is a long time, but it comes suddenly and hits you. ” he said.
The professor said that if the city collapses by another 50 centimeters, it will not matter what we do. Dr. Yashar said, “Building a set is not a solution. There is no point in building a wall. It will increase the elevation and it will be very expensive, but it is a matter of choice. Otherwise, we will gradually abandon the area and evacuate it.”
