Page 34 - Çevre Şehir ve İklim Dergisi İngilizce - Özel Sayı

Evaluation of Desertification and Erosion Combat Efforts With Regards to
Paris Agreement Commitments and Net Zero Emission 2053 Targets

sequestration capacity of forests, extending the sustainable agricultural
techniques and developing soil protection strategies play a central role in
achieving Türkiye’s climate goals (Ulucan Şahin, 2021).
Within the scope of this study, it is aimed to evaluate Türkiye’s strategies to
combat desertification and erosion in line with its Paris Climate Agreement
commitments and 2053 net zero emission targets. Thus, basic approaches
such as sustainable land management, protection of ecosystems and efficient
use of natural resources were addressed and their contributions to climate
change adaptation policies were examined. In addition, taking into account
the socio-economic effects of desertification and erosion and the participation
of local communities in the process, Türkiye’s efforts towards the sustainable
development goals were evaluated.

2. Combating Desertification and Erosion in Türkiye

Türkiye is very vulnerable to erosion, desertification and land destruction
due to its geographical structure, climate and topography. Along with
climate change and human activities in particular, the impacts of these
problems gradually increase. Improper land use expedites the degradation
of agricultural, forest and pasture areas, leading to biodiversity loss and
inappropriate use of fertile agricultural areas. This situation causes negative
effects on the population, especially women and young people, who are
dependent on natural resources and live especially in rural areas (ÇEM, 2024a).
Approximately 18% of the territory of Türkiye is in the low, 50.9% is in the
medium and 22.5% is in the high vulnerability group. Arid and microclimate
regions such as Konya are one of our critical points in terms of desertification
in the country. Konya-Karapınar, Iğdır-Aralık and Urfa-Ceylanpınar stand out
as the regions showing the highest vulnerability to desertification, while the
Tuz Lake basin, Ereğli-Karaman region, Urfa-Ceylanpınar-Mardin-Batman line
and the vicinity of Eskişehir are included in the medium and high vulnerability
groups. The Black Sea Region, on the other hand, is in the lowest vulnerability
group due to abundant precipitation, humidity and vegetation (ÇEM, 2024b).
However, the land use types where erosion is most common in Türkiye are
sloping areas, agricultural lands, and forest lands. The risk of erosion is high,
especially in areas that are sloped and unsuitable for agriculture. The slope is
20% and above in 49.5% of the land of Türkiye, which is one of the main factors
that increase the risk of erosion. In the distribution according to the erosion
severity, more severe erosion is observed on the lands with poor agricultural
and forest characteristics (Balabanlı et al., 2005).

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Special Issue / 2024