Sabancı Group is continuing its efforts to avert future environmental disasters by taking preventative measures to diminish the risk of forest fires. Last year, the Group supported the extinguishing and rehabilitation processes of the forest fires that occurred in Turkey. Furthermore, in coordination with relevant public authorities, Sabancı Group has mobilized all its resources, including a fire early detection system and fire pools established in high-risk forest areas. From now until November 10, the group will also provide thousands of volunteers on the ground to help in these efforts.
"We are constructing eight fire suppression pools in high-risk areas and implementing a reliable early fire detection system covering tens of thousands of square kilometers.”
Sabancı Holding CEO Cenk Alper discussed the adverse effects of the climate emergency, saying, "The impacts of the climate emergency are increasing daily. Last year's fires were devastating, with 118,000 hectares of forest area damaged – an area larger than many of our provinces in Turkey. That's why our top priority this year is to take preventive measures and support the creation of infrastructure that can quickly respond to any potential fire threat. At Sabancı Group, we have implemented an early fire detection system covering tens of thousands of square kilometers of forest area in Muğla. The sensors, combining sustainability and technology to achieve a high degree of accuracy, have already begun to protect our forests. These IOT-based sensors can detect forest fires, measure air quality, and detect toxic, flammable, and explosive gases. They become active in any unusual situation and instantly alert the appropriate units. In addition, in case of potential fires, we are constructing eight fire suppression pools in high-risk areas to ensure uninterrupted firefighting efforts. Each of these pools, with a capacity of 600 tons, is designed to allow firefighting helicopters to access water when responding to fires quickly. Our 12 dams within Enerjisa Üretim are also available for emergencies. Furthermore, we promised to plant one million saplings, and in addition to the 200,000 saplings we planted last year, we are continuing to plant more saplings this year to support the ecological diversity of our country."
"We have had over 15,000 volunteers in 41 cities working on the ground throughout the year."
Sabancı Group CEO Cenk Alper stated that Sabancı Group is committed to mobilizing its technological know-how and human resources for the betterment of society. He went on to say that the group will continue to work with over 15,000 volunteers in 41 provinces, implementing an exemplary project with more than 30 social responsibility initiatives aimed at addressing both the climate emergency and reducing social inequality: "Last year, we made a call to the whole of Turkey to join us in our efforts to address the climate emergency and reduce social inequality. We are pleased that our call was answered; our greatest wish is to turn this social sensitivity into a nationwide mobilization. At Sabancı Group, we will continue to work on a year-round Social Responsibility Campaign to achieve a more sustainable world."