Rehabilitation of Old Mine Sites with "Back to Nature"

Organized within the scope of Istanbul Technical University's 250th Anniversary an event named "Back to Nature: Rehabilitation of Former Mining Sites" brought together experts in the field to express their observations and opinions on December 4, 2023 at ITU Faculty of Mines, İhsan Ketin Conference Hall.

"ITU plays a guiding role in the fields of environment, climate, and sustainability."

In the opening session of the event organized within the scope of December 4^th World Miners' Day, our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu underlined the pioneering role of the ITU Faculty of Mines, which was established 70 years ago in 1953 for the purpose of the extraction and efficient use of Turkey's underground and surface resources:

"Apart from renewable natural resources such as sun and wind, most of the natural resources used in production and consumption are obtained from mines. However, there is a prejudice in the eyes of the society due to the negative environmental, ecological, economic and aesthetic impacts during and after the operations of mining enterprises. As Istanbul Technical University, we attach importance and focus on multidisciplinary studies to make the sector qualified, reliable and respected in the eyes of the society."

During the panel within the same event, the participants Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kumral, our Vice Rector, Prof. Dr. Celâl Şengör, retired faculty member of the Eurasian Institute of Earth Sciences, Prof. Dr. İlhami Kiziroğlu, Chairman of the Scientific Board of TTKD, and Prof. Dr. Güven Önal, President of the Foundation for the Development of Domestic Mining shared their views on topics such as environmental awareness and sustainability in mining. Within the scope of the day-long event, visitors had the opportunity to visit the "Dried Tree Roots Sculptures Exhibition".