- Surface Area: 4,817 km2
- Population: 932,706 (TUİK - 2014)
The D-100 (E-5) highway which has an important role on domestic and international transportation and passes through the city East-ward all along together with TEM highway and the D-25 highway in the direction of Bilecik are the main transportation axis of the city. The city of Sakarya is surrounded with the city of Düzce in the East, Bolu in the South East, Bilecik in the South, Kocaeli in the West and the Black Sea in the North.
It is one of the paradise-like spots of the country with its sea, beaches, lakes, rivers, highlands, thermal springs along with traditional Ottoman lifestyle districts such as Taraklı and Geyve, and historical relics inherited from the Byzantine and Ottoman eras that are worth witnessing.
The city had to face a great destruction during the great Marmara Earthquake in August 17, 1999. 3891 residents lost their lives while 26551 buildings collapsed and almost 100000 people were left homeless. The city was trying to be re-born from its ashes with the help of state/people collaboration when Adapazarı Municipality which was founded in 1868 gained the status of Metropolitan Municipality in March 6, 2000 by publication of the council of the ministers’ enactment number 593 on the Official Journal. Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality is currently in service with its 16 districts which are; Adapazarı, Akyazı, Arifiye, Erenler, Ferizli, Geyve, Hendek, Karapürçek, Karasu, Kaynarca, Kocaali, Pamukova, Sapanca, Serdivan, Söğütlü and Taraklı.
Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Reductions
Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality developed “Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Reductions Derived from Energy Production and Industry”, established aims in this issue and identified areas for action. Those kinds of studies are carried on in Turkey by only Istanbul, Bursa and Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipalities
Studies for recycling and production of energy from waste are getting closer to end. Soon, it is going to be gone out to tender for construction and operation of integrated solid waste facilities with build-operate-transfer model. With this project we will be able to ensure life extension of the sanitary landfill, contribute to national economy by recycling, and spend money for other infrastructure projects instead of spending money for wasting disposal.
Adopting new and renewable energy sources in local authorities, the municipality’s aim of decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions, producing electricity by using energy sources such as biomass, sun and wind, producing electricity from the coal gas in the regular solid waste landfill, the dissemination of alternative energy sources are approved as important applications.
SASKİ (Water and Sewage Establishment of Sakarya) is running feasibility studies for obtaining energy from sewage sludge.