Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 23, No. 5 (2014), 1555-1563 Original Research Evaluation of Tortum Waterfall According to the Criteria Used in the Selection of Protected Areas in Turkey Metin Demir*, Serkan Özer Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Atatürk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey Received: 4 August 2013 Accepted: 28 April 2014 Abstract For more than a century, several countries all over the world have taken certain areas under protection in order to protect their natural beauty and biological diversity. Today, protected areas, as well as their func- tion of protecting nature, are considered as areas contributing to human welfare, reduction of poverty, and sus- tainable development. In this study, it is established that with its landscape and natural landscape beauty, the Tortum Waterfall is visited by lots of tourists, especially in summer. The waterfall is the highest in Turkey and Europe and the third highest in the world at 48 m. The objective of our study is to refer to the current condition and impor- tance of the area needing protection and, therefore, continually promote and contributing to regional and national tourism. With a hydrophical valley and area of 205.5 ha, the research area has been studied in accor- dance with the natural protection criteria and necessity of protection has been suggested. Moreover, it has been stated that the Tortum Waterfall should be taken under protection as a “Natural Park” and emphasized that the improvement plans of the area need to be prepared quickly. Keywords: Tortum waterfall, natural parks, protected area, landscape planning, recreation Introduction country has been forming its own systems of area protec- tion in the direction of national area protection strategies Today the protection, care, and rearrangement of nature [4-6]. is considered among subjects of increasing importance The USA first applied acts of protection by setting up along with developments that appear in disfavour of nature Yellowstone National Park in 1872. The natural area pro- in human-nature relations [1]. Protected areas have long tection categories differ according to the country, depend- been considered as a way of preventing the reduction of ing on changing conditions and approaches. Therefore, the biological diversity in the world. Today, protected areas, as IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) well as their function of protecting nature, are considered was set up in order to establish a general cooperation for the among the areas that contribute to human welfare, reduc- conservation of nature. Turkey joined the union in 1 tion of poverty, and sustainable development [2, 3]. By January 1993 and the union has still been carrying out its taking international standards into consideration, every studies on this subject.The protection areas are divided into 10 main categories by the union [1, 7]. According to the *e-mail: [email protected] studies of the IUCN, the number of protected areas all over [email protected] the world is approximately 100,000 and they cover approx- 1556 Demir M., Özer S. Table 1. The waterfalls in Turkey conservation status. Name of the conservation Location Yüksekliği (m) Waterfall Type Area (m2) Conservation status area (Province) Samandere Waterfall Düzce 15 Single-drop Waterfall 109.955 Natural Monuments Güney Waterfall Denizli 20 Single-drop Waterfall 5.000 Natural Monuments Mut Yerköprü Waterfall Mersin 30 Single-drop Waterfall 1.115.717 Natural Monuments Kurşunlu Waterfall Antalya 18 Single-drop Waterfall 5.590.000 Natural Park Güzeldere Waterfall Düzce 130 Multiple-drop Waterfall 200.000 Natural Park Tomara Waterfall Gümüşhane 15 Single-drop Waterfall 70.000 Natural Park Derebağ Waterfall Kayseri 15 Single-drop Waterfall 100.000 Natural Park imatel 12 percent of the world's total land surface (1.8 mil- protected waterfalls and their areas in Turkey are shown in lion ha) [8]. Areas protected in various ways are being Table 1. established in order to take next generations to visit the nat- Varied topographical structure of Turkey enhances her ural and cultural possessions in Turkey, which are both of natural richness and beauty. In this sense, the structure national and international significance and the areas that increases the number of protected, and to be protected areas represent important battles of Turks just as how they are. To in Turkey as well. On the other hand, there are a lot of areas do this, the use and protection of these areas should be bal- except those mentioned above that bear the features of anced. being protected, but instead of being in this status these Areas protected by the law of National Parks, which areas have been left to face their own destiny for various was introduced in 1983, are divided into 4 categories; reasons. Tortum Waterfall is one of these areas. As a result national parks, nature protection areas, natural parks, and of the rehabilitation works, the waterfall, which is visited natural monuments. As of 2013 there are 42 national parks, by a great number of people, has been under great pressure. 189 natural parks, 31 nature protection areas, and 109 nat- In this study, the current condition and protection value of ural monuments in Turkey [9]. Some of these protected Tortum Waterfall will be set forth. In addition, it is hoped areas are linns and waterfalls. Linns and waterfalls are that the area will be promoted and then presented to region- among the important natural resources that have touristic al and national tourism in a sustainable concept. The data potential. Linns attract attention as interesting natural won- obtained at the end of the study will be submitted to the rel- ders with their geological and geomorphological forma- evant institutions and organizations and so they will be tions [10, 11]. In this context, the conservation status of the informed about the area. Fig. 1. The research area. Evaluation of Tortum Waterfall... 1557 Materials and Methods the ecosystem features and the topographic structure of the area (criteria of river, dry creek, hill, hillside, etc.) into con- Tortum Waterfall, the research area, is geographically sideration based on natural borders. The research area is sit- situated in the Eastern Black Sea Region and for being in uated in 41º39’34.99,’’ 40º39’29.703’’ west, 41º41’21.518,’’ the borders of Uzundere Province; it is governed by 40º39’48.311’’ east, 41º40’19.202,’’ 40º40’18.204’’ north, Erzurum City Province. Being a passageway between these and 41º40’19.291,’’ 40º39’23.482’’ south latitudes and lon- two regions the area has a microclimatic structure. In terms gitudes. The research area is surrounded by Tortum Lake in of transportation, the area is 110 km from Erzurum City the west, Cevizli creek in the east, and D-950 Erzurum- Province, 58 km from Tortum Province and 32 km from Artvin highway and Santral hillside and Çağlayan Village Uzundere Province (Fig. 1). road to the south. Tortum Waterfall is the longest waterfall of not only In this study determination of natural protection areas Turkey but also Europe and No. 3 in the world. Thousands and rating of protection features as a result of association of of people visit the waterfall, which falls from 48 m. the data about research area which have various formats Determining the research area borders, the spring values of and ingredients to each other are targeted. The method, the waterfall lying in the borders of Uzundere Province and which can be considered as a sample to studies on this the natural limits surrounding it have been taken into con- issue, was first set forth by Forester (1973) and later on has sideration [12-14]. These areas are determined by taking been used by many researchers by being developed accord- ing to the features of the research area [15-20]. In the study NetCAD 5.0 mapping programs and the ArcGIS 9.3 soft- ware of the operation firm have been used by making use of the CBS techniques. Besides, it has been enabled that the whole spatial data shall be in accordance with UTM pro- jection system and European, Goodetic Datum. The first stage of the study consists of the selection of the area and determination of the objectives. In the selection of this area, it was taken into account that the research area has significantly protected its natural and natural-like landscape characteristics, and that the region, including the Tortum waterfall, is among the most important waterfalls for natur- al landscape beauty, and houses different plant species from the region as the area is in a microclimatic region. In the second stage; the data of studies concerning the area has been gathered, visiting the area at certain times of the year, during the observation year, examination and the data gathering processes have been conducted about their status quo and these observations have been photographed. In the second stage, gathering the data about the research Fig. 2. Digital terrain model of the research area. area, these have been evaluated. Fig. 3. Topographical structure of the research area. 1558 Demir M., Özer S. At the third stage, evaluating the gathered data, social, have been conducted. Operating home pensioning which cultural, and physical analyses of the area have been carried started in 2008 has been offering accommodations for out. At the fourth stage, digitizing process of maps in dif- tourists and thus enabling them to discover nature. By this ferent scales has been carried out and collected in a data- way the number of tourists visiting this area has substan- base, it has been transferred to geographic information sys- tially increased [23]. According to the data collected from tem (GIS). the managing office of the waterfall, more than 100,000 Fifthly, in the light of research findings and analysis of domestic and foreign tourists have been visiting annually.