Environmental and hydrological management of the Golden Horn Estuary, Istanbul

Abstract

The Golden Horn estuary has been one of the worst-affected coastal areas of Istanbul (Turkey) as a result of heavy and unplanned commercial and industrial activities along the shoreline, in particular, since the early 1950s. The estuary is an internal port, heavily polluted by creek discharges conveying domestic and industrial loads. It has also been affected by the implementation of ill-adapted coastal structures and upstream activities. Increased sediment deposition coupled with weakened water circulation has hindered the self-purification capacity of the estuary owing to its particular oceanographic features.