Balcı drew attention to the fact that the carbonates around the lake are under human pressure, warning that Salda is an area that could easily be destroyed by the ongoing climate crisis.
Balcı emphasized the importance of protecting the lake, stating, "We tried to highlight this in our application. The Geological Heritage Commission evaluated this information and included Lake Salda in the list. The entire world has recognized that this is an area that needs protection. For those working on Mars, this will be a focal point. In this sense, I believe that scientific studies at the lake will accelerate. Other places from Türkiye that are candidates for the geological heritage list also need sufficient scientific research. Why wasn't Nemrut included? Because more work needs to be done on that and the international community needs to be convinced."
Balcı reported that their latest scientific article, titled "Mars-like Alkaline Lake," focusing on the hydromagnesite and the morphological and microbiological diversity of microbialites in Salda, has been published in an internationally prestigious journal. She noted that this is the first publication from Türkiye on this subject.
Balcı emphasized that the Lakes Region, which includes many important lakes such as Salda, Acı, and Yarışlı, has significant "geopark" potential. She added that if this potential is realized, it would make a substantial contribution to the region's tourism.
As part of a project initiated by the International Union of Geological Sciences and supported by UNESCO, Lake Salda in Burdur and the Nemrut Caldera in Bitlis were nominated from Türkiye for the list announced every two years.
At the 37th World Geological Congress held in August in Busan, South Korea, it was announced that Lake Salda from Türkiye was included in the "World's Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites."
