Pandemic in the Anthropocene epoch and the status of cities

Year 2021, Issue: 41, 21 - 31, 28.06.2021

Erkan Polat , Sümeyye Kahraman

https://doi.org/10.33613/antropolojidergisi.810841

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Humans have been living on Earth, which is 4.5 billion years old, for approximately 200,000 years. Since the first day of its existence, humanity has begun to fundamentally change the physical, chemical and biological systems that depend on all the organisms of the planet, especially in the last 60 years, these effects have manifested themselves at an unprecedented rate and scale, especially in cities. The past pandemics and the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred in 2019 were not accidentally experienced. It is important to understand that the pandemic is a man-made; because we created this problem because of the species we are in and the planet (cities) we created. Past and present pandemics are just one aspect of the man-made planetary crisis known as the Anthropocene; climate change, biodiversity loss and other problems are all interdependent. One of the cornerstones of these problems are the cities that are a part of the Anthropocene and the effects of these problems are mostly concentrated in cities. Like the pandemic, which is a global problem of 2020-2021... In this study, the past and future of pandemics, which are a problem of the Anthropocene epoch, in the city, the disaster areas that caused the start of the Anthropocene epoch. The connection with the cities hosting the main problems (humans) is discussed in the context of a theoretical discussion. Suggestions regarding the solution methods to be brought by planning in urban areas dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic, which is increasing due to urban people, are presented in the study.

Keywords

Anthropocene epoch, pandemic, city, COVID-19

Antroposen Çağı’nda pandemi ve kentlerin durumu

Abstract

İnsanlar, 4,5 milyar yaşında olan Dünya üzerinde yaklaşık 200.000 yıldır yaşamaktadır. İnsanlık ilk günden beri gezegenin tüm organizmalarının bağlı olduğu fiziksel, kimyasal ve biyolojik sistemleri temelden değiştirmeye başlamış, özellikle son 60 yılda, bu etkiler eşi görülmemiş bir oranda ve ölçekte, özellikle kentlerde kendini göstermiştir. Geçmişteki salgınlar ve 2019 yılında ortaya çıkan COVID-19 salgını tesadüfen yaşanmamıştır. Salgının bir insan yaratımı olduğunu anlamak önemlidir; çünkü bu problemi, bulunduğumuz tür ve yarattığımız gezegen (kentler) yüzünden ortaya çıkardık. Geçmiş ve mevcut pandemiler, Antroposen olarak bilinen insan yapımı gezegen krizinin sadece bir yönüdür; iklim değişikliği, biyolojik çeşitlilik kaybı ve diğer sorunların hepsi birbirine bağlıdır. Bu sorunların temel taşlarından biri Antroposen’in bir parçası olan kentlerdir ve bu sorunların etkileri en çok kentlerde yoğunlaşmaktadır. 2020-2021 yıllarının küresel sorunu olan pandemi gibi... Bu çalışmada Antroposen Çağı’nın bir sorunu olan pandemilerin kentteki geçmişi-geleceği, Antroposen Çağı’nın başlamasına neden olan felaket mekânları olan, asıl sorunları (insanlar) içinde barındıran kentler ile bağlantısı kuramsal bir tartışma bazında ele alınmıştır. Kentli insanlar yüzünden giderek artan COVID-19 salgını üzerinden kentsel alanlarda planlamayla getirilecek çözüm yöntemlerine ilişkin öneriler çalışmada sunulmuştur.

Keywords

Antroposen Çağı, Pandemi, Kent, COVID-19

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