Boğaziçi University's Information and Support to Local and Regional Governments on Climate Change Disasters and Risks

Boğaziçi University plays an active role in informing and supporting local and regional governments on early warning and monitoring of climate change-related disasters and risks. Through a number of institutes and centres specialised in this field, our university provides critical information to relevant institutions and carries out collaborative studies.

Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI), as an important centre in this field, plays an active role in disaster preparedness and early warning systems, including climate change disaster education. KOERI operates Istanbul Earthquake Rapid Response and Early Warning System, through which it shares rapid response information with various local and regional organisations such as IMM-AKOM, Ordu, Governorship and İGDAŞ. KOERI also hosts the Regional Earthquake Tsunami Monitoring Centre, which contributes to disaster monitoring and early warning efforts.

Boğaziçi University is among the institutions participating in the preparation of the Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2030) published by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. This co-operation is critical for the measures to be taken against climate change at both national and regional level.

Our university also organises events such as ‘Cities for Climate Workshop and Climate Action Plan Training’, bringing together local administrators from different cities of Turkey and informing them about developing solutions against climate change. In these workshops, participating municipalities committed to prepare local climate action plans in line with the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Following the workshop, ‘Sustainable Cities and Climate Change Online Training Programme’ was organised for local government employees in partnership with Union of Marmara Municipalities, 350 Turkey, Localiz, SDSN Turkey and Boğaziçi University Lifelong Education Centre (BÜYEM). This programme aims to provide training and support to local governments on climate change.

You can find more information about Boğaziçi University's efforts to provide information and support to local and regional governments on climate change disasters and risks from the links below:

• Boğaziçi University Meteorological Laboratory
• Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI)
• Cities for Climate Workshop
• Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2030)

Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory Director Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel Highlights Tsunami and Earthquake Risks

Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, Director of Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, made important statements on the second anniversary of the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Prof. Dr. Özel stated that a major earthquake was not expected in the Eastern Anatolia Fault Zone for a long time and reported that over 58,000 earthquakes were recorded in Kahramanmaraş and its surroundings.

Emphasising the vital importance of urban transformation in the Marmara Region in preparation for a potential major earthquake, Özel said, ‘Renewing the building stock is essential. We have established 20 new observation stations in the region, comprising meteorology, temperature and seismometer equipment. We are monitoring sea level rise with sea level stations.’

She added that the Kumburgaz Fault in the Marmara Sea is particularly critical, but historical uncertainties prevent accurate predictions. Prof. Dr. Özel also drew attention to earthquake activity in the Aegean Sea and around Santorini Island, stating that 1,513 earthquakes occurred in the region between 31 January and 7 February 2025.

She stated that magma movements and hydrothermal activity in the region could increase the intensity of seismic events. She said that the Santorini and Kolumbo volcanoes are active and that past eruptions have caused tsunamis. She warned that tsunamis up to 1 metre high could occur in the northern Aegean Sea and that wave heights could reach 3 metres in the southern Aegean Sea and its surroundings.

Prof. Dr. Özel also stated that the Kandilli Observatory has been serving as an international Tsunami Warning Centre since 2012, closely monitoring tsunami risks in the Marmara, Black Sea and Aegean regions and informing the public through early warning systems.

Following the press conference, a workshop titled ‘6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes: A Two-Year Perspective from the Fields of Earth Sciences and Engineering’ was held, where topics such as building performance, geological studies, and rapid damage assessments were discussed in detail by expert academics.

https://haberler.bogazici.edu.tr/tr/news/akademik/1/bogazici-universitesi-kandilli-rasathanesi-ve/2893