Uludag is an place of entertainment for some, a place to barbecue for some, a ski sports center for some, and a holiday destination for some.
However, Uludag is much more than these.
For example, Uludag is the water reservoir of the city of Bursa. Nilüfer Stream originates from the southern slopes of Uludag. As the Nilüfer stream flows, it merges with the side streams and forms the drinking water source of the city of Bursa.
Uludag is a biodiversity paradise.
It has a rich vegetation. It is possible to see different forest zones during your 45-minute car journey. That’s why Uludag has entered the world literature. These forest assets are important sink areas for us. Uludag is the lung of not only Bursa but also Turkey. The world too…
Uludag has a high diversity of both plants and animals. It is home to 1309 plant species. 169 of these species are endemic to Türkiye and 32 are endemic to Uludag. In other words, 32 plant species are found only in Uludag.
Uludag is also rich in terms of wildlife. Some species in Uludag are in danger of extinction. Uludag is also an important bird area.
Uludag has villages and villagers. They do agriculture. For example, you can find the most delicious cherries in Uludag.
For these reasons, 12000 hectares of Uludag was declared a National Park in 1961. The entire National Park area is a natural protected area.
Biodiversity provides us with ecosystem services that will ensure the continuation of life on the planet. These services are metaphorically the blood vessels of life. Any intervention in this diversity is actually a direct intervention in our lives, which are connected to each other like the ring of a chain.
That’s why Uludag is the apple of our eye. We are afraid that they will do something to Uludag National Park. We realize its importance; We also tell our children.
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Recently, a management change has come to the fore for a part of Uludag National Park, which has survived with this protection status since 1961. It was stated that the 20 million square meter area within the borders of the National Park will now be managed by a different institution with a different management approach. The relevant regulation became law on January 19, 2023.
I can’t understand the reason for this change.
I am concerned about Uludag being opened to construction. I know that even a very small intervention in Uludag will harm both water resources and biodiversity. In these days when we need to work for climate adaptation, our main topic should be to increase the protection status of ecosystem areas in our country.
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I went to Uludag today. There was some snow. Much less than this time of year…
The hotels, with their different, incompatible and intertwined designs, did not create a beautiful appearance on the snow. First Hotels Zone, Second Hotels Zone… “I wonder if there will be more?” I couldn’t help but worry.
As the number of snowy days in Uludag decreases every year, aren’t there other things we should think about?