A research on water efficient landscape design model in sustainable university campuses: Trakya University Balkan Campus

Sufficient and clean water in the world is of vital importance for the health of humans and other living things. Water systems on a global scale are threatened by unsustainable management and climate change. The unpredictable increase in the world population, the increase in the building stock and the accompanying urbanization, the destruction of natural lands negatively affect the sustainability of the administration. The problem of climate change causes intensification of floods and droughts, changes in precipitation patterns and sea level rise. Current conditions and the scenarios foreseen in the coming years around the world indicate that the water stress levels of the countries will increase. At this point, sustainable access to water needs to be secured. Within the scope of this thesis, it is aimed to examine the subject of rainwater harvesting specific to the campus and to contribute to the nature and water cycle by re-evaluating the water to be collected with on-site solution suggestions. Trakya University Balkan Campus was chosen as the study area within the scope of the thesis in order to ensure the sustainability of the campuses and to provide input to the cities. The data obtained and created about the Balkan Campus of Trakya University; is described in two sub-titles as natural and structural data. Within the scope of rainwater harvest; the amount of rainwater to be collected from different pavement materials on the campus was calculated by the Rational Method. Water consumption amounts were calculated with the CROPWAT 8.0. A comparison was made between the amount of rainwater to be collected on the campus and the amount of irrigation water needed by the plants. Tank capacities were calculated and their locations were determined for the storage of the rainwater to be collected. In the conclusion, the amount of rainwater to be collected throughout the campus was calculated as 493,898 m3, and the plant water consumption was calculated as 54,530 m3. These data show that the amount of rainwater collected meets the irrigation water needs of the plants. The rainwater to be collected in the campus is directed to the tanks. On-site solutions have been produced with sustainable methods for the remaining rainwater, apart from the stored rainwater. In this context, three sample areas were determined in the roads and parking lots where the impermeable pavement is located. The information for each suggestion is detailed and explained with visuals.