Ecological problems of Antalya

SUMMARYMaster ThesisECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF ANTALYASavaş BADEMCThe University of FıratThe Institute of Social ScienceThe Department of GeographyELAZIĞ-2006, Page: X + 84Antalya is a city center taking place in the western part of MediterraneanRegion and naming Antalya district as well. Being an area settled down since the firstages, Antalya is one of the places having rapidly-growing population in the recent yearsin our country. After the `60s, the activity of commercial growing of hothouse plants inthis area and nearby , and exponential touristy activities after the `80s turned this regioninto an attraction center. The City gained the statute of metropol in 1993. Ourinvestigation area falls within the province of lower echelons of Muratpaşa, Konyaaltıand Kepez in the borders of the metropolitan municipality.Antalya was founded upon a travertine terrace 35-40 m. high from actual sealevel. Akdeniz climate prevails in our study area. Agricultural and tourism activitiesdeveloping thanks to the advantages of this climate have brought about intensivemigrations to the city internally and externally.The city population, 24.233 in 1935 and 184.324 in 1980, went up to 603.190 in2000. Depending on rapidly-growing population, the city that has been sprouting in anunplanned and uncontrolled way, has changed into a place that has wide range ofecological problems.In the city, air and noise pollution taking root from motor vehicles,extrafunctional utilization of the land resulting from unplanned urbanization, soilpollution growing out of chemical fertilizers and medicines for agricultural combat,which are being used unconciously with a view to increasing the production inagriculture, and ground water pollution surfacing because of permeable structure oftravertine ground can be specified as leading ecological problems.KEY WORDS: Antalya, Ecological Problems, Air Pollution, Water Pollution,Soil Problems, Noise Pollution, Image PollutionII