The report on
The negative impacts of the climate crisis on our world and our lives are experienced in many different ways. In addition to the effects we feel with increasing frequency in our daily lives such as droughts, floods and forest fires, it is obvious that we are also faced with risks such as the degradation of ecosystems and the decrease in social welfare. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the most valuable regions of the world with its climate, biodiversity, socio-economic structure and social-ecological systems that reveal unique examples of human-nature interaction. However, studies reveal that one of the most important impacts of climate change on our country located in the Mediterranean Basin will be drought. In our country, which has a predominantly semi-arid climate except for the coastal part, changes such as decrease in precipitation, especially snowfall, seasonal shifts, increase in temperatures and prolongation of hot periods are experienced; mega forest fires in 2021 and the shrinkage and even drying of wetlands in Central Anatolia are the most obvious examples of aridification.
It is predicted that the severity of drought and the size of the area it penetrates will increase with the effects of climate change, which will negatively affect forest, steppe and wetland ecosystems, which are vital in combating the climate crisis. The deterioration of forest ecosystems will negatively affect the hydrological regime and the microclimate of the region; the deterioration of the hydrological regime will lead to irregularity in water supply on the one hand and to an increase in disasters such as floods and floods both in number and severity on the other. Disruptions in the microclimate will cause an increase in extreme weather events and will damage the functionality of many sectors, especially agriculture and energy. These changes will cause a decrease in the sink capacity of our natural ecosystems, especially forests and wetlands, and will increase carbon emissions by accelerating processes such as land degradation if necessary measures are not taken. In a more arid climate, efforts to increase sinks, such as carbon sequestration through afforestation, will also become more inefficient.
It is predicted that the severity of drought and the size of the area it penetrates will increase with the effects of climate change, which will negatively affect forest, steppe and wetland ecosystems, which are vital in combating the climate crisis. The deterioration of forest ecosystems will negatively affect the hydrological regime and the microclimate of the region; the deterioration of the hydrological regime will lead to irregularity in water supply on the one hand and to an increase in disasters such as floods and floods both in number and severity on the other. Disruptions in the microclimate will cause an increase in extreme weather events and will damage the functionality of many sectors, especially agriculture and energy. These changes will cause a decrease in the sink capacity of our natural ecosystems, especially forests and wetlands, and will increase carbon emissions by accelerating processes such as land degradation if necessary measures are not taken. In a more arid climate, efforts to increase sinks, such as carbon sequestration through afforestation, will also become more inefficient.
The full report is available here: Forest Ecosystems and Catchment Area Management in Combating Climate Crisis in Türkiye Report