Türkiye’s First “Zero-Carbon Community Garden” Begins Production

Bornova Municipality has begun cultivation at Doğanlar Community Garden, Türkiye’s largest “Zero-Carbon” community garden, featuring rainwater harvesting and hybrid energy systems. Visiting the project site, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki highlighted that the facility generates its energy from wind and solar power and uses harvested rainwater for irrigation. He emphasized the municipality’s pride in establishing one of the world’s most advanced and environmentally friendly community gardens.

Bornova Municipality has added another project to its sustainable agriculture and environmental initiatives by establishing Türkiye’s first “Zero-Carbon” community garden. Mayor Ömer Eşki visited the facility in Doğanlar Neighborhood, which is the largest community garden in the country, and met with local women who were planting their crops.

“You Would Admire It If It Were in Europe. We Built It in Bornova.”

Bornova Municipality has launched a groundbreaking project in Doğanlar and Ümit neighborhoods that will contribute both to combating environmental pollution and to local development. Holding the title of Türkiye’s largest community garden, the site has also become the country’s first “Zero-Carbon” garden thanks to its advanced technology and environmentally friendly systems. As planting got underway in October, local women began growing their own produce. Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki visited the site to explain the project’s vision, which he believes can serve as a model for the world.

“Our People Deserve the Best”

Mayor Ömer Eşki inspected the garden alongside representatives of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers and teams from the Directorate of Agricultural Affairs. He said:

“Planting has begun at the community garden in Doğanlar and Ümit neighborhoods, which we have made available to local women. This garden, however, has a very special feature: it is Türkiye’s first zero-carbon community garden.

“We harvest rainwater from the roofs of surrounding buildings and collect it in the large storage tanks behind me. We then bring our crops to life through drip irrigation. We generate our electricity using a hybrid pole that harnesses both solar and wind power. In short, no carbon is consumed in the production process at this garden.

“If this project were in Europe, everyone would be talking about it with great admiration. We came here and made this vision a reality in Doğanlar, Bornova. The world’s most advanced, modern, technologically sophisticated, and environmentally friendly community garden is right here in Bornova. The people of İzmir and the people of Türkiye deserve the best, and we will continue to deliver it.”

Rainwater Collected from Rooftops Brings Life to Crops, One Drop at a Time

One of the most remarkable features of Doğanlar Community Garden is its nature-friendly approach to water use. Rainwater collected from the roofs of nearby buildings is stored in large tanks. This stored water is then delivered directly to plant roots through modern drip irrigation systems. As a result, crops are grown entirely with naturally available resources, without using a single drop of mains water.

Powered by Sun and Wind: Zero Carbon Emissions

The garden’s technological infrastructure goes beyond rainwater harvesting. A hybrid energy pole installed on-site generates all the electricity required by the facility using wind and solar power. From operating irrigation pumps to lighting the area, the entire energy cycle is powered by renewable sources. This ensures that no carbon is consumed during any stage of production.