An Ecological Assessment Analysis: The Kanlidere River in North Cyprus

Introduction

Water is the most important resource shared by humankind; it is an indispensable yet limited resource, for which there are no alternatives. The estimated global increase in freshwater use was about 20% per decade between 1960 and 2000; this dropped to 10% during 2000-2010, reflecting changes in population growth rates, economic development, and improvements in water use efficiency (Hassan, Scholes, & Ash, 2005). Today, about 40% of the world’s population, in more than 140 countries, live or otherwise depend on shared watercourses (Salman, 2007), yet there is still no universal treaty in force to regulate their use and protection.

In some regions, such as the Middle East, South Asia, and Northern Africa, providing access to sufficient fresh water is becoming more problematic, and competition for control of this resource may pose threats to regional and global peace and security. The World Water Commission notes that “more than one-half of the world’s major rivers are being seriously depleted and polluted, with degrading and poisoning around the eco-systems, thus threatening the health and livelihood of people who depend upon them for irrigation, drinking, and industrial water.” (Serageldin, 2000). This problem will intensify as the requirements for food, drinking water, and water for economic development population that is estimated to increase by two billion by 2025.

Urban waterways are formed from the natural drainage lines followed by rainfall, runoff and groundwater discharge. They form an important connection between the environment and economy, recreation, and neighborhood identity in the community (Riley, 1997). Freshwater systems have an important role for drinking water, maintaining agriculture, and as a source of fish and other types of food products; these systems also serve for transportation, energy production and industrial processes (Speed et al., 2016). Nevertheless, rivers are continuously polluted by “industry, agriculture, and sewage; compromised by harmful land-use practices; and diverted to meet the demands of a growing and increasingly urban population. The success of any attempt to improve the ecological condition of streams in urban areas will largely depend on human attitudes and behaviors within the catchment areas, and there may be inherent conflicts between appreciation of urban streams and their protection” (Booth, 2005). Also, as Fischenich (2001, p.2) notes, “increased runoff from urbanization causes channels to erode and incise – diminishing habitat quality and threatening infrastructure. Changes in sediment load, flow regime, and boundary conditions associated with channelization and urbanization can disrupt stream equilibrium, resulting in rapid channel enlargement through the process of incision.”

Urban waterways offer many small opportunities, which, when taken together, provide a great opportunity to improve the quality of life, create a visually attractive environment, and bring substantial benefits for the community, such as an enhanced image which can lead to an increase of up to 20% in land values. They can be important for preserving local biodiversity and for rejuvenating declining urban areas. In addition, urban watercourses create an identity for a place, since each combination of landform, waterway, riverside building and bridge is unique; they also represent educational and recreational opportunities for children (Seffer et al., 2011; Bircumshaw, 1998).

The restoration of a river can dramatically transform an urban landscape when the waterway becomes a central feature. Also, the sight and sound of running water, as well as the feeling of proximity to nature, contribute to mental well-being by relieving anxiety and helping people to relax. In 2004, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, noted that many rivers had been degraded for centuries due to pollution and the impact of development, to the extent that some have even been encased in concrete or buried underground. River restoration offers a sustainable approach to managing urban rivers: it can improve water quality, solve flooding and pollution problems, ensure secure water supplies, and also enhance the natural environment for the vegetation and fauna (RESTORE, 2013).