Full Length Research Paper

Ecological concerns over cemeteries

Aysel Uslu*, Emin Bariş and Elmas Erdoğan

Ankara University Agriculture Faculty Department of Landscape Architecture, Dişkapi Ankara, Turkey.

 *Corresponding author. E-mail: uslu@agri.ankara.edu.tr. 

Accepted 22 October, 2009

   Abstract

Both developed and developing countries are living a disturbing period because of growing population, rapid urbanization and environmental degradation in their urban and also rural areas. So that , the new approaches and terms in the field of daily life, which will be the solution of environmental problems are getting priority in the agenda of planners, managers and designers of cities. Many similar terms such as “green movement”, ecological approaches”, “sustainable development” and “green urbanization” play an increasingly important role in the purpose of minimizing environmental degradation in different areas. Cemeteries are the probably the most interesting areas in this context. Cemeteries as the inevitable form of land use in cities, should have be planned, managed, design and maintained with ecological approaches in order to protect environment and create livable spaces. Ecological concerns to cemetery areas include the type of inhume, selection of burial area, the type of soil, cemetery landscape design (selection of plant species etc.) and maintenance of cemetery landscape (such as weed control, fertilization) after planning and design process. This paper intends to emphasize and explains these considerations and their importance in the cities as healthy urban habitats. It also gives some samples of eco-cemetery, which have less pollutant. The study especially gives cemetery issues from different religions and cultures, discusses ecological sensitivity for cemeteries.

Key words: Eco-cemetery, ecological sensitivity, environment problems, green burial, urban planning.