Page 270 - 7. State Of Environment Report Of Türkiye

scope of the project. Since 2015, monitoring activities have been carried out and 355 flora, 224
fauna and 284 featured areas were monitored in 2023.

y Noah’s Ark Biodiversity Database is the largest biodiversity database in Türkiye.
y Noah’s Ark Biodiversity Database contains inventory and monitoring data of biodiversity
species and featured areas. Many attribute data for species and areas are kept here. In addi-
tion, the identification card of each species has been created and species-specific data are
also stored. In this way, long-term data flow on species is aimed.
y The data in the Noah’s Ark Biodiversity Database are completely numerical and spatial data
and have all kinds of querying possibilities. Map representations of the queried data are also
made using different base maps.

y The data in the Noah’s Ark Biodiversity Database will constitute an important basis in many
fields such as food, agriculture, forestry, medicine, pharmacy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics,
perfumes, natural dyes, energy and defence where biodiversity is transformed into eco-
nomy. It also constitutes an important data source for other public institutions connected
to biodiversity.

y One of the most important problems in medicinal and aromatic plants in Türkiye is that
while our biological richness is so high, this richness has not been transformed into econo-
mic contribution. Taking into account the demands of national and international markets,
product diversity and production diversity by making use of the data in the Noah’s Ark Bio-
diversity Database has the potential to increase the share of Türkiye in this sector.
y Elaborating researches on the species identified as medicinal plants from the data in the
Noah’s Ark Biodiversity Database, increasing multidisciplinary studies, cultivating the spe-
cies to be identified and carrying out breeding studies will increase the product diversity of
Türkiye.
y With the National Biological Diversity Inventory and Monitoring Project, studies were car-
ried out in areas where inventory studies had not been carried out before and the density of
inventory points was increased. Therefore, Noah’s Ark Biodiversity Database has created an
inclusive biodiversity data network across Türkiye.
y The major indicator of healthy ecosystems is healthy biodiversity. In order to ensure this, a
data source is needed and Noah’s Ark Biodiversity Database serves this task.

Capacity Building in Biodiversity Monitoring Project

Biodiversity monitoring activities are carried out by the relevant Branch Directorates of 15 Re-
gional Directorates under the MoAF General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National
Parks. In this context, the Project for Capacity Building in Biodiversity Monitoring was carried out
between 2021-2023 in order to ensure that monitoring at the national scale, species and habitat
level is carried out at the same standard and to meet the missing and insufficient requirements
in the provincial organisation.

Anti-Biosmuggling Project

Biosmuggling refers to the unauthorised export of biological resources owned by Türkiye and
their use for various purposes outside the control and/or partnership of Türkiye. Living organis-
ms themselves or their tissue samples are genetic resources. Countries rich in biological diversity
such as Türkiye are constantly exposed to biosmuggling, especially in terms of genetic resources.

269