TÜRÇEV's and Blue Flag’s 30th Anniversary in Türkiye

Between 7th and 10th November 2023, one of our leading member organisation TÜRÇEV held a national event in honor of the 30th anniversary of the organisation and Blue Flag in Türkiye in Kocaeli, Turkiye with the support of the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality which is having nine Blue Flag beaches within the area of a metropolitan city.

During the Blue Flag 30th-year event, an International Panel discussion featured speakers from FEE Global (Johann Durand), FEE Spain-ADEAC (Virginia Yuste Abad), FEE Greece-HSPN (Dareia-Nefeli Vourdoumpa), and FEE Turkiye-TURCEV (Almila Kindan Cebbari). Following this, significant addresses were delivered by key representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.

The schedule included presentations showcasing best practices from coastal municipalities and local associations relating to Blue Flag criteria and the responsibilities of local supervisors. The attendees were representatives from 50 diverse coastal municipalities, including beach managers.

Among these presentations, two notable best practices were highlighted from Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. These included the monumental Izmit Bay Mud Removal Project area and the Ormanya Biodiversity Reserve and Educational Natural Life Park, representing significant environmental renovation and conservation efforts within the Turkish Republic.

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The event included a field trip to a Mud Removal Project taking place in Kocaeli Municipality, read more here:

Blue Flag’s 30th Anniversary in Kocaeli Municipality, Türkiye - Mud Removal Project - Best Practice Field Trip

International announcement of Blue Flag Awarded sites - Southern Hemisphere 2023/2024 season

The second Blue Flag International Jury meeting of 2023 took place this past September, and we’re proud to announce that 193 sites from 11 countries have received the Blue Flag award for the upcoming season in the Southern Hemisphere.

These sites join the previously awarded beaches, marinas, and tourism boats awarded by the International Jury in the Northern Hemisphere round that took place in April, for a total of 5038 sites awarded in 2023 (4205 beaches, 711 marinas, and 122 tourism boats).

We would like to also congratulate the winners of the Best Practice competition for the Southern Hemisphere 2023/2024 International Evaluation. The final ranking is published below.

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For the category “Accessibility / Access for all”, the ranking is as follows:

The Paradisus brand, managing awarded Blue Flag beaches “El Cortecito” and “Bávaro”, implemented am inclusion program, which gives work opportunities to people with hearing, visual or motor disabilities as well as elderly disabled people. The program seeks to incorporate people with disabilities in all areas of the brands operations. Paradisus also conducts sensitisation dynamics with the staff to create an environment conducive to their integration, such as sign language formations.

© Bávaro Paradisus Palma Real (Dominican Republic)

As part of a campaign of the presidency of the Dominican Republic on accessible tourism in the country, a series of informative videos were recorded. These highlight the importance of Blue Flag Beaches for the establishment of accessible tourism destinations. A recording team accompanied the Blue Flag National Jury, in order to illustrate that tourism destinations in the Dominican Republic are increasingly friendly for the transfer, movement, and enjoyment of people with disabilities.

© IDARD

In Praia Grande de Caravelas (Brazil), the site managers wish to give the possibility for people with impairments or disabilities to enjoy their experience at the beach with the adequate equipment, from the parking to the water. Amphibious wheelchairs and a bamboo ramp are available and allow a safe and accessible sea bath. The lifeguards offer their help to the beach users wishing to access the water. The municipality also provides special parking spots close to the beach facilities, as well as accessible toilets and showers.

© Praia Grande de Caravelas (Brazil)

These efforts collectively demonstrate a commitment to fostering accessibility and ensuring that everyone can enjoy beach destinations.

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Once again, Blue Flag International thanks its valuable institutional partners EEA, ENAT, EUCC, ICLEI, ICOMIA, ILS, UNEP, UNESCO, and WCA for sharing their expertise and for participating in the International Jury of the programme.

Sandbanks Restoration Education at Peró Beach, Brazil

The Peró coastal region, situated along the pristine Atlantic coast of Brazil, has long captivated the hearts of tourists. With its breathtaking vistas and pristine stretches of golden sand, it has become an attractive tourist destination. However, over the years, the influx of tourists has spurred the construction of more accommodations, residential complexes, and infrastructure, progressively encroaching upon the fragile coastal ecosystem. The sandbank vegetation areas, a vital component of this coastal landscape, have suffered the most from human pressures, further exacerbated by the speculative surge in real estate ventures and the expansion of livestock farming.

In response to these challenges, the Peró Residents Association, and the Veiga de Almeida University initiated a sandbank restoration project at Peró Beach with the support of the Blue Flag Peró site managers. The Blue Flag Programme and the Instituto Ambientes em Rede (IAR) have always encouraged Blue Flag-awarded sites to work in cooperation with local institutions to promote the preservation of areas surrounding awarded sites. This story from Peró Beach highlights the opportunities to engage local communities with environmental conservation and education by bringing together undergraduate students, professors, biologists, and technicians from Veiga de Almeida University (UVA) as well as public authorities.

Students surveying the study area.

The project began with a comprehensive survey of the study area guided by a biologist. Soil samples were collected and analysed for moisture content, organic matter content, FE³+ ion content, pH, and potassium and phosphate levels. Based on the findings, the team divided the study area into three distinct quadrants:

·       Quadrant 1 received a combination of sewage plant sludge (solid material remaining after the wastewater treatment process, typically consisting of organic and inorganic matter), landfill, and plant litter;

·       Quadrant 2 was treated with silt from a sewage plant, cake, and plant litter;

·       Quadrant 3 served as the control group and received only a single layer of landfill.

The landfill and plant litter (e.g., dry leaves) used in the experiment were sourced from the surrounding area.

Division of the study area into three quadrants.

Dry leaves to retain soil moisture.

In the initial phase of the study, legumes such as Phaseolus vulgaris (black beans) and Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea) were sown to facilitate nitrogen fixation. In the subsequent phase, native fruit-bearing plants like Myrciaria guaquiea (Guaquica) and Eugenia uniflora (pitanga) were planted to attract arthropods and birds, thereby enhancing the local food chain. Native plants were chosen for their symbiotic relationships with local fauna, as they produce fruits and seeds that are highly attractive to wildlife.

Regular monitoring was conducted, with the students measuring bean sprout monthly growth and weekly visits to the study area to document plant development through photographic records. Despite meticulous planning and execution, unforeseen challenges emerged during the project. An anthill encroached upon Quadrant 2, but the students successfully mitigated it using coffee grounds. However, the final setback was posed by domestic cattle, which, due to the inability to build a protective fence, freely entered the quadrants. These cattle consumed the newly developed leaves of the sprouts and trampled the ground, ultimately forcing the research to conclude in November 2021.

Soil samples laboratory analyses from the three distinct quadrants.

Overall, the project showcased the possibility of restoring degraded areas by stimulating biogeochemical processes without relying on chemical fertilizers. The addition of silt and sludge improved soil quality, particularly in Quadrants 1 and 2, where potassium and phosphate levels increased. The presence of arthropods attracted birds, further enhancing ecosystem processes. Additionally, the presence of dry leaves helped retain soil moisture and shield it from intense sunlight.

Despite its challenges, this project not only offers insights into a cost-effective approach to sludge management but also holds the promise of a method for restoring degraded sandbank vegetation areas. Moreover, involving students, provides an educational opportunity for the next generation of nature restorers, fostering students’ scientific and environmental observation skills.

Instituto Ambientes em Rede (IAR), acts as a FEE Member Organisation in Brazilfor the implementation of the Blue Flag programme, and of other FEE programmes, such as Green Key, Eco-Schools, Learning About Forests, and Young Reporters for the Environment.

To explore IAR's extensive work with conserving natural ecosystems and promoting socio-cultural development through environmental citizenship visit its site here.

For more information about the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and opportunities for involvement, please visit the following link.

This article is part of our UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration series, which highlights the projects and activities of FEE members that contribute to the UN Decade.