Sakarya University integrates sustainable tourism and ecosystem awareness into its academic and outreach programmes, promoting responsible interaction with natural landscapes and protected areas.
The university offers courses and seminars on environmental management and sustainable tourism across several departments, particularly within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering.
Relevant courses include:
Çevre Sorunları ve Çözümleri (Environmental Issues and Solutions)
Doğal Kaynak Yönetimi (Natural Resource Management)
Sürdürülebilir Çevre Yönetimi: Sistemler, Riskler ve Etki Değerlendirmesi (Sustainable Environmental Management: Systems, Risks and Impact Assessmenthttps://ebs.sakarya.edu.tr/Ders/Detay/658192)
Ekoloji Uygulamaları (Ecology Applications)
These courses emphasize the relationship betweentourism, ecosystem protection, and climate change adaptation, preparing students to balance visitor activities with the preservation of natural areas.
The Science & Future (Horizon Europe) project has been instrumental in promoting sustainable tourism and environmental awareness in local schools and communities. Workshops on climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation highlighted the importance of forests, wetlands, and rural landscapes as tourism assets that must be protected. Students learned how unsustainable land use affects biodiversity and ecotourism potential.
Figure 1: School-based workshop explaining “Climate Change and Ecosystem Protection in Tourism Context,” organized under the Science & Future Project.
Sakarya University contributes to several national ecological and tourism-related conservation projects, such as:
Uzungöl Special Environmental Protection Area Management Plan Revision
Sorgun Plateau Ecological Research Project
These studies provide guidelines for managing tourist destinations sustainably while preserving ecosystem integrity.
The university regularly hosts panels and seminars during Environment Week and Climate Action Days, open to the public, addressing themes such as sustainable tourism, green infrastructure, and protection of local landscapes.
Through these multidisciplinary initiatives, Sakarya University equips both students and the wider community with the knowledge and skills to promote environmentally responsible tourism practices.
