Located in the Mediterranean Basin, which is one of the regions to be most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change, Turkey continues to experience the impacts more intensely with each passing day. A significant increase in the number and severity of disasters, notably heat waves, drought, floods, storms and forest fires, is observed.

Climate change adaptation may be explained as the process of adapting to changing conditions in ecological, social and economic systems as a response to existing or expected climate hazards and their impacts. Even if all emissions are stopped today, the impacts of climate change will still be experienced. Aiming at being socially and economically prepared for the climate change impacts and improving adaptive capacity, the main objective of the Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation Action in Turkey Project is to strengthen social resilience through increasing climate change adaptation, especially at sectoral and urban scale.

Although climate change is a global crisis, its impacts are intensely observed locally. In order to increase climate resilience at the local level, local governments should pay attention to climate change adaptation activities, and adaptation strategies and action plans should be prepared for climate resilient cities. 

Within the scope of the project, urban adaptation strategy and action plans are being prepared for the pilot provinces of Konya, Muğla, Sakarya and Samsun. 

Stakeholders came together in Sakarya on 6-7 July 2021 and in Konya on 12-13 July 2021 to assess the challenges and opportunities faced by cities in the climate change adaptation processes and data provision for vulnerability and risk assessment.

At these climate change vulnerability and risk analysis scoping meetings for the provinces, the stakeholders identified the climate change hazards to which the provinces are the most exposed. While Konya listed drought, heatwaves, and storms as the most prominent hazards, drought, excessive precipitation, and heatwaves were expressed for Sakarya. 

Sessions on climate change adaptation goals and actions for the sectoral impacts of climate change were held for Sakarya and Konya under urban, biodiversity and ecosystem services, energy, industry, water resources, transportation, tourism and health subjects.

UNDP, in cooperation with the Republic of Turkey and the European Union, continues to work to strengthen climate resilience and adaptation capacity in Turkey against the impacts of climate change, and to fight against deepening inequalities caused by it.