Assessment of urban green areas in Atakum (Samsun) in terms of disaster risks

A large portion of the world's population lives in cities, and it is anticipated that this rate will increase. It is possible to reduce the negative effects of sudden and unexpected weather events caused by global climate oscillations in the areas we live in and to make cities resistant to these effects. Natural events such as floods, , landslides and storms occur due to many natural factors such as precipitation type and intensity, vegetation and wind direction/speed, as well as human-induced factors such as the opening of agricultural areas and urbanization, and turn into disasters if sufficient precautions are not taken. Children's playgrounds, which are among the important needs of the urban population, also appear as urban spaces damaged by disasters. Atakum, one of the rapidly concreting districts of the Black Sea region, is seen as one of the districts most affected by natural disasters that occur as a result of this rapid urbanization and rapid population growth. The aim of our study is to determine the increasing meteorological disaster risks in Atakum district of children's playgrounds, which are necessary for psychological, sociological and physiological needs and have an active role as a socialization space where urban people maintain their relationship with nature. The green areas in Atakum district, which are currently proportionally insufficient, are under disaster risk due to increasing adverse climate conditions in recent years. In this context, in our study, firstly the children's playgrounds in Atakum district were located and their distribution was realized and mapped in GIS environment. Then, natural disaster risk maps of the city such as flood, inundation and landslide were created and matched with the playground maps in GIS environment. As a result of this matching, landslide and flood risk was determined in some park areas. Keywords: Geography, Climate Change, Natural Disasters, Children's Playgrounds, GIS