Effects on farm land According to the EIA report, the Çayırhan B coal plant will be constructed on 740 hectares of land, of which 65% is productive farming land. Since the plant area has no overground water supply available, it will have to use 40 tonnes of underground water per day. Use of this water resource is expected to have devastating effects on farming.

Climate and air pollution impacts Electricity demand in Turkey is rapidly increasing, and the power industry is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Çayırhan-B coal power plant is expected to produce 4 million tonnes of CO2 each year, increasing the negative effects on the environment and climate change. The plant will produce 1 million tonnes of ash per year, and because of the winds in the area, this ash will be spread over a wide area. The Çayırhan plant, which has been in existence since 1978, has a track record of polluting the water and soil with heavy metals.

Local bird sanctuary under threat The Çayırhan coal power plant is only 5.9 kilometres away from a bird sanctuary at Davutoğlan in the Nallıhan district. This sanctuary has more than 200 bird species, and is located in a bird migratory route. This area falls under the Ramsar Agreement, an international treaty on the protection of wetlands. The sanctuary is protected under two different statuses: one is 'natural preserve', given in 1994, and the second is 'wildlife cultivation area', given in 2005.

Cumulative health effects For decades, coal power plants in Turkey have fuelled climate change and polluted the air. This has created an unacceptable health burden, leading to people dying early and causing and worsening of diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis or heart disease.