Cause of flooding concrete structures, not global warming: Experts

Concrete jungle and unplanned urbanization are the reasons for floodings witnessed in various provinces, including the capital Ankara where three people died and a man went missing due to flash floods, meteorologists have said.

"We saw 'June rains' in the past, too, but there were no floodings at that time. It is because there were more green lands, but now, we have concrete everywhere," Güven Özdemir, a meteorology engineer from Istanbul's Aydın University, told the daily Milliyet on June 13.

Yüksel Yağan, the head of the analysis department of the Turkish State Meteorological Service, agreed with Özdemir, saying that "the amount of rainfalls Turkey witnesses today is no different than the ones in previous Junes."

Many provinces, with Istanbul and Ankara at the lead, have been struggling with heavy precipitation, downpours, thunder-boomers, and as a result of all, floodings since the weekend.

Three people died in Ankara, and an apiarist is still missing. On June 12, two people from the capital's Akyurt district lost their lives: One got electrocuted, and another fell from a height while running away from the floods. A day later, teams found the body of a 27-year-old bus driver in Mamak district.

The schools were closed for a day in the city as the metropolitan municipality announced that some 166 people were saved, more than 250 trees toppled, around 65 roofs got blown away, and some five retaining walls crumbled in the province.

"Greenhouse effect affect cities. Unfortunately, this leads to floodings due to low numbers of trees and increasing concrete structures," Özdemir said.

The expert offered authorities to convert the provinces into "sponge cities sucking water."

"For example, water should never spill...