We all know that climate change and global warming have detrimental impacts on our world. The effects are not only on nature, but the general scheme of life. Countries are signing agreements, taking part in conferences and cooperations, and banning the use of harmful substances, all with the objective of sustainably using.
Climate change manifests in frequent and intense heat waves, extreme weather events, and changes to precipitation patterns.
Global warming, highly driven by the rising amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to an increase in the global average temperatures might be seen as a small change in the larger perspective. However, even a 1.5-degree Celcius change in the average temperature has critical consequences.
Below, you can see the difference in the yearly average temperatures from the 1901-2000 average. As it is seen clearly, especially after 1980, the global average has started to rise in more significant values.
A very current example of this incident is the lack of consistent and heavy snowfall in Istanbul. With very few exceptions in the high-altitude regions, such as Arnavutköy and Sultanbeyli, we’ve seen a concerning decrease in the overall snow levels in the last few years.
This poses a great threat to the water sources of Istanbul. As of February 12, 2025, the overall occupancy rate of dams in Istanbul was measured at 57.76%. Therefore, the less snowfall resulting in less meltwater may potentially be another reason leading to a water shortage.
One of the cases that contribute to this issue is the amount of forested land that has been lost over the years. In 1971, Istanbul’s forested land was approximately 264.000 hectares; as of 2020, this number is 240.688 hectares. This decrease in the green land of the city has made some significant contribution to the global warming experienced by the city, as trees play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide, and thus, regulating temperatures. This loss severely disrupts the ecologic order, drops the air quality, and adds on top of the “urban heat island effect,” which leads to higher average temperatures in densely built areas.
Another variable that behind global warming and the significant decrease in the snowfall is the skyscrapers. Today, especially in some bigger districts of Istanbul, such as Ataşehir and Beşiktaş, there are too many skyscrapers, which have multiplied in number since the 2000s. While in 1994, there were only four, this number reached 121 at the end of 2016. Unfortunately, with this urbanization also comes extreme global warming. Skyscrapers require significant amounts of, glass, concrete and steel, which are all heat absorbing and retaining materials. These features of these products add on to the cooling issue that has gotten significantly worse. In addition, the height of these buildings also disrupt the natural flow and patterns of winds, which harms the general circulation of air and the pressure differences between regions. The area needed for these skyscrapers also results in deforestation, which we have already explored the detrimental impacts of. All these and more come together to eventually make the region more vulnerable to any kinds of change, dropping its resilience, causing nature to get itself in a positive feedback loop.
Despite these consequences, the construction of these buildings continues rapidly, making it obvious that the companies and individuals are prioritizing their personal well-being and economic gains over environmental issues and concerns. Many suggest that the government is not taking enough measures to limit the number and, instead, is encouraging the construction of such buildings. Firms now mostly focus on profit maximization and put being eco-friendly into second place. As environmental problems such as resource scarcity arise, the voices are getting louder to raise awareness.
While this article has mainly focused on two environmental issues in Istanbul, namely deforestation and rapid building of skyscrapers, unfortunately there are endless others. Hopefully, in the near future, more companies and individuals can come to the awareness that their selfish actions are harming the rest of the world and all the upcoming generations.
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