Assessing the Effects of Erzurum Nato Highway on Land Use and Environment

Abstract

The pressure on natural areas is increasing day by day in urban areas which cannot cover the needs of the increasing population. The area usage plans being insufficient or the disobeying to such plans; the areas with ecological importance and fertile agricultural characteristics are being opened for industrial or residential use. The misuses of the areas bring with them many ecological problems. With this study, environmental problems and the future effects brought of the Erzurum Nato Highway which goes through the middle part of Erzurum Plain and right next to Erzurum Swamp Area wetland have been dealt with. The area has the status of being a National Wetland and is located on the migration routes of the birds with its "Important Natural Area" and "Important Birds Area" characteristics. As a result of the wrong policies in the area, and by considering only the economic and technical facilities, ruining the area which has such an biological importance by making a new road in it will have consequences like losing the wetland and the plain, which may not be compensated for many years or may not be possible to compensate at all. In this study, the ecological importance of the area is emphasized and the amount of the land that was lost with the making of new roads and the areas being opened for construction was determined with the satellite views. And some future plans are suggested by considering the protection-using balance in order to prevent the misuse and protect the ecological characteristics.