The government of Türkiye and the World Bank have launched a $400 million (TL 12.90 billion) project to strengthen the country’s capacity to protect people and forests from wildfires, the lender announced Thursday, and a ceremony was held in Ankara.
"Türkiye is vulnerable to floods, wildfires, storms and landslides, some of which are frequent and are driven by climate change. In 2021, Türkiye’s southern and western regions experienced the worst wildfires ever recorded in recent history," the World Bank said in a statement.
The newly launched Türkiye Climate Resilient Forests Project (IDOP) will support the government of Türkiye in strengthening wildfire management, the resilience of forests and people against wildfires and countering increasing risks of climate change in the country's 14 provinces that are the most at risk for wildfires, it noted.
"In the face of escalating wildfires that tragically claimed lives in 2021, Türkiye is proud to lead the charge in modernizing forest fire management," the bank quoted Bekir Karacabey, director of General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye, as saying.
"Our nation stands at the forefront, pioneering advanced technologies and holistic approaches to both prevent and suppress wildfires. The world looks to Türkiye as a beacon of innovation and resilience in safeguarding our forests and communities," he noted.
"As we embark on the Türkiye Climate Resilient Forests Project in partnership with the World Bank, we are taking decisive action to protect our precious forests and communities from the growing threats of massive fires and climate change impacts."
"Today marks a crucial step forward in our commitment to safeguarding communities and ecosystems. The Türkiye Climate Resilient Forests Project underscores our dedication to proactive climate adaptation action and resilience-building," noted Humberto Lopez, World Bank country director for Türkiye.
"In today's real figures, an investment of TL179 billion was made to develop our forests. During this time, 7 billion seeds and saplings were planted in the soil. Thirty percent of our country's surface area is covered with forests," Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı said during the project's opening ceremony.
"According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, our country ranks first in Europe and fourth in the world in afforestation efforts," he added.
"According to FAO data published in five years, our country ranked 46th in terms of forest area in 2015 and rose to 27th place in 2020," the minister said.
Pointing out that climate change is a very important factor that will affect everyone, Yumaklı underscored the need to prepare individually, institutionally and as countries for it.
"Today, we will have started the IDOP Project, for which the World Bank will provide a loan of $400 million and which will last for five years," he noted.
"The fact that the project covers our provinces, such as Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Adana and Osmaniye, will make a significant contribution to the recovery of the earthquake region. The project includes important sub-projects in terms of establishing fire-resistant forests," the minister said.