ASSESSMENT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN NATURAL HAZARDS, LANDUSE CHANGE IN UZUNGÖL (TRABZON TURKEY), ITS CLOSE VICINITY

Uzungöl is an important nature tourism area in Turkey and was declared as a Nature Conservation Park in 1989. Although it is a conservation area, Uzungöl has been disturbed from natural hazards due to meteorological, geological and topographical conditions. The natural park has also been under important threats due to recent increase in construction activities around the lake Uzungöl. Along with environmental degradation due to increase in construction activities, it has been observed that new settlements have become subject to natural hazards such as snow avalanches, landslides, and rockfalls. The present study aims to illustrate the spatio-temporal change of landuse during last 60 years and its interaction with natural hazards in Uzungöl and its close vicinity. In order to assess landuse change, a time series of aerial images (1955, 1986, and 2015) were used. All aerial images, obtained from Turkish General Command of Mapping, were co-registered in same coordinate system; i.e. European Datum 1950. Following co-registration of aerial images, landuse types were mapped by digitizing in ArcGIS software. As aerial images have high resolutions, all buildings could be individually mapped. Dense construction activities around the lake was clearly monitored from aerial images during time series. Additionally, spatial change of lake was determined. The assessment of interactions between natural hazards and landuse change could only be evaluated by intersecting snow avalanche hazard zones and settlements in the area.