Project Name: Establishment Enabling Environment for the Effective Conservation of Steppe Biodiversity Across Large Landscapes
Date: 2019-2020
Place: Turkey and Şanlıurfa
Role Of DKM: Project Implementation
Project Partners: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Project Supporters: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Communication: Dr. Özge Balkız, Dr. Mustafa Durmuş

Summary Of Project:

Under the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Turkey’s Steppe Ecosystems, Doğa Koruma Merkezi (Nature Conservation Centre) is implementing the project entitled Establishment Enabling Environment for the Effective Conservation of Steppe Biodiversity Across Large Landscapes. The main project, Conservation and Sustainable Management of Turkey’s Steppe Ecosystems, is led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (GDNCNP), General Directorate of Plant Production (GDPP), and General Directorate of Forestry (GDF) with the financial support of the Global Environment Fund (GEF). The aim of the main project is to improve the conservation of Turkey’s steppe ecosystems through effective management of protected areas and mainstreaming steppe biodiversity conservation into production landscapes.

In the Establishment Enabling Environment for the Effective Conservation of Steppe Biodiversity Across Large Landscapes Project, DKM aims at: (i) developing national and Şanlıurfa Steppe Conservation Strategy and Action Plans, (ii) organizing seminars and workshops on the conservation of steppes, (iii) developing and implementing training programs for different stakeholders and also producing different supporting materials on the topic, (iv) developing and implementing a training program on protected areas, (v) developing a monitoring program for periodical assessment of pilot sites (Kızilkuyu Wildlife Reserve, Tek Tek Dağları National Park and Karacadağ steppes).

In the framework of the project, which will be carried out during 2019-2020 period, different materials of critical importance towards the conservation of steppes and sustainable management of steppes’ natural resources will be developed. The most important among these are the strategy and action plans to be prepared for the conservation of steppes both at national scale and on Şanlıurfa scale. These documents will be the first materials prepared for steppes in Turkey. Secondly, through the workshops to be realized in the project, it is aimed to bring together different experts working on steppes from different stakeholder groups, also with the aim to develop national and regional scale working groups, who will be active in the long term. Finally, by putting in practice a high variety of trainings and printed materials for different target audiences, a significant contribution will be made to both on raising awareness on steppes and to the literature on the topic.