A new phase in Türkiye’s national efforts to tackle the impacts of climate change was launched this week as the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change started a training program under the jointly funded “Strengthening Climate Change Adaptation Action in Türkiye” project, supported by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The opening of the training marked the official start of the project’s education and outreach component. At the heart of this initiative is the ministry’s updated Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2030), which aims to guide Türkiye’s response to the escalating effects of climate change, such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires and biodiversity loss.
During the launch event in Ankara, Berna Yiğit, senior environmental engineer at the Climate Change Directorate of the ministry, emphasized that climate change is no longer a future problem but a present-day crisis. Referring to recent data from the World Meteorological Organization, she underlined the urgency by noting a 1.55 degrees Celsius (2.79 degrees Fahrenheit) global temperature increase since the pre-industrial era.
Yiğit highlighted that Türkiye's first adaptation plan, developed in 2011, laid the foundation for current actions. The newly updated strategy for 2024-2030 deepens local engagement, especially at the city and sectoral levels. She stressed that local adaptation plays a critical role in enhancing community resilience.
“The two-day training program that begins today is an outcome of extensive preparation and is a significant step toward the practical implementation of our adaptation strategy,” she said.
The broader aim of the project is to build societal resilience through awareness-raising and capacity-building efforts at both the sectoral and municipal levels. It also supports the development of climate adaptation plans, strengthens decision-making tools for sustainable and climate-resilient development and implements a grant program to accelerate local actions.
The training program will consist of five different sessions, each lasting two days, targeting approximately 250 stakeholders from across the country.
