Natural and Anthropogenic Driving Forces on Holocene Coastline Evolution of Lake Van (Eastern Anatolia): a Geological Approach

Abstract

Coastal areas along the lakes are sensitive to climatic, hydrologic, and anthropogenic changes. These areas also reveal the interaction between natural driving forces and anthropogenic factors. Lake Van coastal region is a dynamic area heavily affected by natural processes and human activities. The present study focuses on Lake Van’s coastline evolution and the associated driving forces. Natural driving forces influencing the changes in the coastline were determined as rock type, water-level fluctuations, wave and current action, tectonics, and fluvial-based processes. The lake’s eastern coast is the most intensive region for erosion and deposition in terms of natural factors. Most residents prefer to live in Lake Van’s coastal areas, likely a large percentage of the world's population choice. Coastal settlements and their coastal protection structures such as embankments and harbours negatively affect the natural processes such as erosion, sediment transportation, and deposition. Dams and river reclamation channels build on rivers indirectly affect the coastal evolution by reducing the sediment input into the lake. These anthropogenic stressors on coastal evolution completely change the natural balance. Understanding all these environmental factors is an indicator of the existing circumstances of the Lake Van coastal area and provides a broader perspective to assess protection and management of this area. © 2022, Hacettepe Universitesi Yerbilmleri. All rights reserved.