Signal 1: Istanbul’s Crazy Project — Canal Istanbul
Canal Istanbul is the latest mega construction project in Istanbul which proposes to establish a new shipping canal between Black Sea and Sea of Marmara. It’s planned as an alternative passage to the Bosporus strait, and will be 30 miles long when it is complete. The main goal is announced as making the Bosporus passage safer because around 60,000 vessels transit through the Bosporus every year. (15,000 through Panama, 20,000 through Suez Canal). Hot discussions are going on in terms of its proposed benefits (safety of Bosporus, economic invigoration) and possible hazards (ecosystem damage, possible earthquake scenarios). Although it makes sense in terms of making the Bosporus safer, I find it as an unnecessary attempt to re-boost construction operations in the city, which has become the workhorse of recent GDP growth in the country. As a civil engineer, I share the similar concerns with many academics and non-profit environmental organizations. The proposed plan will possibly affect the marine life. It may also damage Istanbul’s urban structure, which has recently suffered enough from conurbation problems. Although there are oppositions, I haven’t seen much of them involving data-centric solutions. If enough data can be gathered from past canal opening operations, stress test scenarios can be generated. These findings would be more persuasive and concrete to be used against the proposed plan.
Source: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/istanbul-canal-project-bosporus-environmental-impacts/
