Antalya Metropolitan Municipality
The Pitch
Antalya Metropolitan Municipality created a comprehensive marine regulation compliance monitoring system and ran a public awareness campaign to reduce coastal pollution. The program improved residents’ health and the health of the local marine environment.
The Problem
Pollution from ships negatively impacted the marine environment and coastlines off Antalya and other cities in Turkey, even causing health problems among swimmers. Polluting ships were non-compliant with environmental regulations, and the local government lacked capacity to enforce local marine pollution laws.
The Process
- Developed the Electronic Ship Inspection System (ESIS)—which used surveillance technology to monitor pollution from ships and boats offshore—to ensure that ships were complying with maritime regulations and issue non-compliance fines
- Held public awareness campaigns about maritime law compliance and marine health
The Impact
- Improved water quality on Antalya’s shores by eliminating tar-like pollution
- Streamlined the implementation of maritime rules governing boat inspections and infrastructure
- Ensured that boaters are aware of violations and their consequences by making information accessible
- Strengthened the governance of maritime activities
- Facilitated collaboration between government agencies to respond to environmental crises
- Reinvests fines from polluting ships into improving the city’s climate resilience and boosting essential services
- Made marine waters cleaner through pollution regulation
- Supports the livelihoods of people dependent on the coastal tourism industry by preserving the environment that their jobs rely upon
- Created sustainable behavioral change and increased public knowledge about ESIS and compliance: Citizens have a greater sense of coastal stewardship and adhere more closely to environmental regulations
- Worked with other coastal cities to share ESIS technology and regulatory frameworks
