The government is speeding up efforts in the fight against climate change. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is concentrating on climate-friendly agricultural initiatives and food production with a focus on protecting the ecosystem.
Climate change tops Turkey's agenda as the global phenomenon has increased average global temperatures by 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) over the centuries. It also aggravates natural disasters which in turn caused economic losses amounting to $210 billion last year. The agricultural sector constitutes about 60% of those economic losses.
As a water-stressed country, Turkey prioritizes practices designed to cut agricultural water losses, as projections show a 17% decline in water resources per person in 2040 due to population increase and climate change.
The ministry already implements a series of measures, especially in water-stressed basins where farmers are encouraged to turn to crops relying on less water and prioritizing environment-friendly agricultural production methods.
In the past decade, incentives and training available to people in the agriculture sector have helped expand the country's cultivatable lands 42-fold to 642,000 acres while the size of the area suitable for organic production rose to 964,000 acres, more than double previous levels. In the same period, the government also paid more than $150 million (TL 2.6 billion) to farmers who suffered from yield losses due to factors related to climate change.
The ministry also cooperates with the U.S. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and implements steps agreed upon in a workshop on climate change and agriculture. The workshop paved the way for new incentives and based upon consultations with FAO officials and academics, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry covered half the costs of all drip irrigation and spray irrigation projects presented to the ministry last year.
As part of the European Union’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance Rural Development (IPARD) program, the government plans to funnel loans totaling 14 million euros ($14.6 million) between 2021 and 2027 for environment-friendly projects, including rainwater harvesting, windbreaks, organic agriculture and practices providing protection against water and wind erosion.
An action plan will serve as an umbrella for those practices which are being tested in the northern province of Bolu in a pilot project.
The ministry will also implement an ecosystem-based compliance strategy against climate change in steppe ecosystems. It will provide incentives for pressurized modern irrigation methods.
“Farmer school” training programs in rural areas are also employed by the ministry to teach farmers how to efficiently use water in irrigation and ways to save it. In addition, the ministry will help develop new seeds resistant to drought, cold weather and diseases.
Located in a semi-arid climate zone and water-stressed, Turkey aims to take more steps to optimize its use of its limited water resources, as a climate crisis threatens the country of more than 83 million people. Dry seasons have been prolonged further in the country and have started affecting wider areas as their impact is being felt by more people. Boosting water supplies and curbing demand are essential in this new era. The State Hydraulics Works (DSI), a public agency, is at the forefront of efforts to boost the supplies, with new dams, hydroelectricity plants and reservoirs. Below the surface, they work on underground dams as part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's action plan focused on “artificially improving water sources.” So far, 41 projects have been launched for underground dams in the provinces of Izmir, Manisa, Çankırı, Konya, Bursa, Eskişehir, Antalya, Kütahya, Balıkesir, Nevşehir, Kayseri, Niğde, Malatya and Kayseri. Some have been completed while others are under construction. By 2023, the government plans to complete the construction of some 200 underground dams. Underground dams help collect rainwater below the surface to increase the level of underground water and protect its quality and amount. Though the dams cannot be built everywhere as they need appropriate geographic and topographic conditions to store water, they have the double benefit of storing water both above and below the surface. They are also cheaper in terms of construction and land expropriation costs. Furthermore, they provide lower water evaporation rates compared to surface dams. Their construction focuses on alluvial-based valleys and they can meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of the small villages and towns around them.
Experts say climate change coupled with the misuse of water resources has led to a water scarcity problem in Turkey. The country was on alert after a lengthy dry spell last winter prompted concerns of a water shortage, especially for the metropolis of Istanbul. The subsequent precipitation alleviated concerns, but the risk of a future drought lingers. Authorities have readied several plans and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan assured the public last year that water management plans extending to 2071 have been readied.
