Assoc. Prof. Dr. Harun Reşit Bağcı, a faculty member in the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), has called for wider adoption of the sponge city model in future urban planning.

The approach is based on capturing and storing water during periods of abundance and releasing it gradually during dry periods. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bağcı, integrating this model into city planning, while also protecting agricultural and forest areas, could play an important role in reducing future risks associated with drought, flooding, and other climate-related disasters.

He emphasized that climate change is expected to have increasingly significant effects on cities and that these impacts need to be anticipated during the planning process.

“To make our cities safer, more livable, and more comfortable, we need to anticipate these changes and plan accordingly. In recent years, the search for climatic comfort has become increasingly important around the world. Through analyses and projects developed by scientists, identifying areas that are climatically suitable for urban development has become a major priority.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bağcı added that locating cities in areas with more favorable climatic conditions could also reduce energy consumption for cooling in summer and heating in winter.

“Cities Should Be Established in Climatically Suitable Areas”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bağcı stressed that climatic suitability should be considered as carefully as disaster risk when selecting areas for urban development.

“Cleaner air, together with ideal temperature and humidity conditions, will improve quality of life. For this reason, future cities should be established in climatically suitable areas. Choosing the right location in terms of climate is just as important as choosing the right location in terms of disaster risk.”

He noted that areas with favorable temperature and humidity conditions should be preferred for settlement and that appropriate planning measures can further improve climatic comfort.

According to Bağcı, measurements taken under similar conditions can reveal temperature differences of up to 3–4°C between rural areas and city centers, as well as between parks and green spaces and densely built areas with heavy vehicle traffic.

“This is what gives rise to the concept of the urban climate. Areas with dense vehicle and pedestrian traffic, closely spaced buildings, and extensive artificial surfaces tend to reach higher temperatures. This reduces climatic comfort.”

He therefore argued that future cities should be designed around areas that offer better climatic conditions.

Climate Variability Is Becoming More Pronounced

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bağcı also highlighted increasing irregularity in weather patterns.

He explained that climate change is altering rainfall regimes and temperature conditions, while the distribution of precipitation throughout the year is becoming less predictable. Some years may be exceptionally dry, while others may experience unusually heavy rainfall.

He pointed to 2025, when many cities across Türkiye experienced drought and water restrictions, followed by 2026, when much heavier rainfall over a relatively short period replenished previously depleted reservoirs and lakes.

“We expect this kind of climatic instability to continue in the future. That is why we need to be prepared.”

“Flooding Can Be Reduced While Drought Impacts Are Mitigated”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bağcı described the sponge city model as one of the most effective approaches for managing these increasingly variable conditions.

“The sponge city concept is extremely important. We are talking about cities that can retain and store water during periods when it is abundant and then gradually release that water into the supply system during dry periods for public use.”

He stressed that such systems are valuable both for preventing floods and for reducing the negative effects of drought in urban areas.

“For this reason, we believe that future cities should be planned according to the sponge city model.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bağcı added that significant progress has already been made in this field in East Asia, particularly in Japan, China, and South Korea.