Engineers warn unplanned urbanization turned heavy rain into disaster

The Chamber of Civil Engineers Sakarya Branch warned that recent floods in Sakarya, Kocaeli and Istanbul were not caused by rain alone. Chairman Semih Uçar and the board said unplanned urbanization and inadequate infrastructure turned natural rainfall into disaster.

The group cited record rainfall over the past 84 years. Karasu recorded 232.7 kilograms per square meter, Kocaali 124.1, Kaynarca 103.7, and Istanbul Beykoz 274.4. The average across Sakarya was 130 kilograms per square meter.

“We cannot load responsibility for everything solely onto nature.”

Officials said surface water from collection basins reached riverbeds but overflowed because obstacles blocked the flow. Water then spilled onto buildings, people and goods, causing loss of life and material damage.

The chamber blamed illegal structures around riverbeds, narrowed natural flow corridors, and insufficient discharge outlets. It also criticized converting agricultural land to construction and launching projects without engineering studies.

The statement said authorities cannot blame nature alone for every heavy rainfall. It called on central and local governments to make public interest the basis of urbanization policies and to consult professional chambers before approving projects.

The engineers warned that intense rainfall has occurred in the past and will happen again. They urged authorities to improve city readiness for disasters instead of explaining floods only through rainfall.