GAU – Year of Environment and Nature
A significant attempt has been made by GAU towards a sustainable environment and nature with the establishment of an Environment and Nature Research and Application Centre
The 2013-2014 Academic Years have been announced by GAU as the “Year of Environment and Nature” by the Senate following the fire disaster in Yeşilırmak and in this regard an Environment and Nature Research and Application Centre has been established.
The Honorary President of the Centre is the Founding Rector and Chancellor of the Board of Administrators – Serhat Akpınar. The 
President of the Centre is GAU CEO and Vice-Chancellor of the Board of Administrators – Assist. Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi. The Vice-Presidents are – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zafer Ağdelen and Erhan Özkan and the Co-ordinator of the Centre is Nazan Ulukök Akdal. The Board of Administrators of the Centre also consists of Ibrahim Alkan and Servet Sarıoğlu from the TRNC Environment and Natural Resources Ministry, GAU member of the Faculty – Prof. Dr. İsmail Sıla, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tülin Bodamyalı, Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Toran, Assist . Prof. Dr. Senem Sadri, Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Okaygün, Dr. Beste Çubukçuoğlu, Dr. Cemal Çalıcıoğlu and Captain Efdal Safel.
GAU announced that the aim of the Centre is to protect nature, marine life and biological varieties, conduct various scientific and application orientated environmental based researches, developing techniques to resolve problems, to prepare or support the promotion of generating environmental problem orientated projects by or for the public and private establishments, contributing for standardisation, producing scientific reports, establishing technical support for technology transfer and preparing feasibility reports, building environmental and nature awareness
from an early age, organizing workshops, building common projects with relevant non-governmental and environmental organizations and conducting scientific projects with regard to natural and organic agricultural production and nutrition.
Further declaring that the Centre is focused on preventing pollution in the TRNC, creating environmental integration, environmental reform and conducting various researches and applications with regard to the environment and nature, it has also been stated that the Centre is also responsible for finding solutions for the problems encountered in agriculture, health, law, urbanization, maritime, tourism and accommodation under relevancy of economical, communal, legal, administrative, international relations technology and resource usage, environmental health and other similar issues.
“On behalf of Environment and Science, we thank our Minister of Environment and Natural Resources for his Vision”
President Vehbi stated his appreciation to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Dr. Hamit Bakırcı and said:
“This project was initiated as an idea of the Chancellor of the Board of Administrators – Serhat Akpınar and later adopted following a decision take
n by the GAU Board of Administrators. This Centre has been established to detect environmental problems both in the TRNC and the world and to generate projects to resolve these problems. Our main duty is to generate solution projects with regard to environmental problems and share our ideas with the public and the relevant authorities and furthermore to contribute with positive criticism and co-operate with the authorities in academic studies and reinforce solutions for the environmental and natural problems encountered in the TRNC.
Vehbi: “We are proud to witness that we have inspired 62,000 students to plant 62,000 trees following our campaign to plant 10,000 trees with 10,000 students.”
“Recently we, as GAU, encouraged 10,000 students to plant 10,000 trees following the Yeşilırmak fire disaster and we have shared this campaign with the public. Now we witness that this project has developed further and thus we have been honoured. Initially it was organized to plant 62,000 trees by 62,000 students and then it developed so that 5 million trees were to be planted by 5 million students in Turkey. Certainly it is significant to accomplish this project and therefore we will pursue each step to this conclusion. We are indeed appreciative to see that a sincere contribution has been made by both the TRNC Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the GAU Board of Administrators. Our Centre is open to the public for whoever would like to contribute for the environment and nature.
The statement also reported that all of the members will act as environmental inspectors and a “Alo123” hotline will be active to report those who commit crimes against the environment and nature.”
It is very good to hear that the environment of North Cyprus is to be given a high priority. Let us hope it is not too late to stop what is already happening, ie the destruction of many green areas, the ripping up thousands of trees and shrubs, houses and shops being allowed to be built without any thought or planning as to the damage this causes to once beautiful areas.
A very good start would be to stop the dreadful littering of the whole place which dismays visitors to the north, who come hoping to see clean beaches, etc. and who are shocked at the scale of the litter and rubbish on our roadsides.
I agree with you entirely and yes let us hope that the Government pay attention to the preservation of North Cyprus to attract tourism which is the main industry to boost the economy. Litter is an easy thing to remedy it just needs someone to take on the project and penalise those who do not seem to have any pride in the environment. North Cyprus is a beautiful place and it needs to be kept so, for us and future generations.