We Organized Our World Environment Day Panel with International Participation
Rector Budak “Every success we have achieved in the field of environment is an achievement for tomorrow”
"World Environment Day Panel" with international participation was organized by Ege University Environmental Problems Application and Research Center (ÇEVMER) on the occasion of "June 5 World Environment Day". EU Rector Prof. Dr. Necdet Budak, Director of ÇEVMER Prof. Dr. In addition to Dinçer Ayaz, environmental scientists from various countries and Turkey participated.
Making the opening speech of the panel, EU Rector Prof. Dr. Necdet Budak said, “Today, an intense struggle is being waged against industrialization, population growth, unconscious consumption of natural resources, climate change, environmental pollution and related problems. In our country, many situations such as the sudden rainfall in İzmir last year, the drought in 41 cities this year, and the pollution in the Marmara Sea clearly show the importance of the issue. All these developments that threaten our quality and continuity of life show how necessary and urgent it is to take the necessary precautions. As Ege University, we approach this vital issue, which concerns the continuity of life on earth, with great sensitivity. Our sensitivity is the basis of all the steps we take in building a sustainable future. Our university, which has a high student and staff population, has a significant impact on the environment with its high energy use and waste generation. With the awareness of this impact and awareness of our responsibilities, we adopted the concept of 'Green University' and started the change from our own face. In line with our environmental studies with the goal of Green Campus, our university's ranking in the Green Measurement rankings is increasing. Accordingly, our ranking of world universities is getting better every year. In this sense, we have risen from 259th place in 2019 to 165th place in 2020.”
The first university in Izmir to receive the "Zero Waste Certificate"
Explaining the environmental studies carried out at Ege University, Prof. Dr. Budak said, “We continue to implement our 'Zero Waste Project' in the best way, in line with the sensitivities of our environment-conscious staff and students. We have reaped the fruits of our work carried out within the scope of the project as the first university in Izmir to be awarded a Zero Waste Certificate in 2020. I would like to state that we support our environmentally friendly practices with our digitalization steps. In this way, we have prevented thousands of trees from being cut down by minimizing paper consumption at our university. We know that one of the most important pillars of the fight against environmental problems is social awareness. For this reason, in addition to the projects we implement on our campus, we raise awareness with our community service practices and our young people to whom we instill environmental awareness. The 'Water, the Source of Life' project, in which we explained the efficient use of water to middle school students, had a significant impact on our children's environmental awareness. With the 'Home to Environment Drug-Free' project, we aim to manage waste medicines correctly without going to waste.”
The first university in Izmir to receive the "Zero Waste Certificate"
Explaining the environmental studies carried out at Ege University, Prof. Dr. Budak said, “We continue to implement our 'Zero Waste Project' in the best way, in line with the sensitivities of our environment-conscious staff and students. We have reaped the fruits of our work carried out within the scope of the project as the first university in Izmir to be awarded a Zero Waste Certificate in 2020. I would like to state that we support our environmentally friendly practices with our digitalization steps. In this way, we have prevented thousands of trees from being cut down by minimizing paper consumption at our university. We know that one of the most important pillars of the fight against environmental problems is social awareness. For this reason, in addition to the projects we implement on our campus, we raise awareness with our community service practices and our young people to whom we instill environmental awareness. The 'Water, the Source of Life' project, in which we explained the efficient use of water to middle school students, had a significant impact on our children's environmental awareness. With the 'Home to Environment Drug-Free' project, we aim to manage waste medicines correctly without going to waste.”
Rector Budak, who stated that they are proud to raise environmentally sensitive generations as Ege University, said, “We believe that the preservation of the natural balance is a responsibility we bear for our future. For this reason, we think that every success we have achieved in the field of environment today is an achievement for our future. I heartily congratulate our Environmental Problems Application and Research Center, which supports all the works we carry out for our environment. I congratulate the World Environment Day with the hope of leaving a cleaner, greener and more livable world for the future.
Environmental Problems Application and Research Center Director Prof. Dr. Dinçer Ayaz said, “This special day, which was accepted by the United Nations at the Stockholm Conference on June 5, 1972, welcomes us with the three pillars of the trivet that lead humans to repair the ecosystem: Re-imagine, re-create, re-repair. "Let's not forget, only with healthy ecosystems can we improve people's livelihoods, resist climate change and stop the collapse of biodiversity."
Explaining the historical development of World Environment Day, Prof. Dr. The first celebration was held in 1974 with the slogan of "One world", Ayaz said. In the following years, this special day was developed as a platform to raise awareness about the issues facing our environment, such as air pollution, plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trade, sustainable consumption, sea level rise and food security, among other environmental problems. The theme for 2021, 'Ecosystem Restoration', means helping to recover degraded or destroyed ecosystems and protecting ecosystems that are still intact. Healthier ecosystems with richer biodiversity yield greater benefits, such as more fertile soils, more timber and fish. Restoration can take many forms, such as actively planting or removing pressures for nature to heal itself. Returning an ecosystem to its original state is not always possible or desirable. Ecosystems, like societies, need to adapt to the changing climate," he said.
UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration
Stating that all kinds of ecosystems, including forests, agricultural lands, cities, wetlands and oceans, can be restored, Prof. Dr. “Restoration initiatives can be started by almost anyone, from governments and development agencies to businesses, communities and individuals. Between today and 2030, the restoration of 350 million hectares of degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems could generate US$9 trillion in ecosystem services. Restoration could also remove 13 to 26 gigatons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The economic benefits of such interventions exceed nine times the cost of investment, while inaction is at least three times more costly than ecosystem restoration. The United Nations General Assembly declared the next ten years as the 'UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration', following the action proposals and resolutions of more than 70 countries. This announcement is actually a call for unity to protect and revitalize ecosystems all over the world for the benefit of people and nature. "The UN Decade spans from 2021 to 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals, the same timeline that scientists have described as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change."
After the opening speeches, Achen University Environmental Research Institute faculty member Prof. Dr. Andreas Schaeffer and La Coruna University Department of Chemical Engineering faculty member Prof. Dr. Cristian A. M. Henri Kennes informed the participants with his presentations. In addition, Iskenderun Technical University Climate Change Application and Research Center Director Assoc. Dr. Abdulla Sakallı made presentations on "The Effects of Climate Change and Extreme Situations on Forests and Grain Production", Turkish Environmental Education Foundation Blue Flag Program National Coordinator Almila Kinden Cebbari made presentations on "Water Quality Monitoring Studies in Turkey and Blue Flag".
As part of the event, Dr. Suat Seren Chest Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Assoc. Dr. Banu Aktin Yoldaş's "We Didn't Throw, We Add Value" online waste exhibition also met with the participants.
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