Dr. Filiz Demirayak WWF-Turkey 21.02.2009 CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND TURKEY.

Dr. Filiz Demirayak

WWF-Turkey

21.02.2009

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE

MEDITERRANEAN AND TURKEY

• The world’s largest and most respected nature conservation organization.

• WWF has offices in over 100 countries, in five continents

• WWF has 4000 employees and over 2000 conservation and local development projects

• WWF has over 6 million members and supporters

WWF

To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

• Conserving the world’s biological diversity

• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable

• Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

WWF’S MISSION

1975 2008

2001

LIVING PLANET REPORT

BiodiversitySince 1974:

• Land species decreased by 31%• Freshwater species decreased by 28%• Marine species decreased by 27%

Ecological Footprint Between 1961 and 2003, the ecological footprint

of humans has trippled;

• CO2 emissions from the use of fossil fuels have increased nine fold in the last 40 years,

• Emissions, the causes of global warming, have risen to 48%.

Source: WWF Living Planet Report, 2006

CURRENTLY ...

OUR GOAL

Source: WWF Living Planet Report, 2006

HOW MANY PLANETS DO WE NEED?

• 12 billion ha of biological capacity– 6.5 billion people • Earth’s biological capacity per capita– 1.8 ha.• Europe’s footprint per capita is 5 ha.• Turkey’s footprint per capita is 3 ha.

• An average European needs 3, an average Turkish person needs 2 planets to support the existing life styles!

• An average American needs 5 planets

The 21 hottest years recorded in history are in the last 25 years

THE TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH IS RISING

2˚C INCREASE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

• Extreme and unexpected weather conditions: Droughts and floods in unexpected times and places, decrease in average rainfall by 20% (In 2006 there was a flood in Ufra for the first time since meteorological statics have been recorded)

• Heat waves: Increase in number of extreme hot days (Average temperature increase up to 5˚C in Northern Italy and some land-stock regions in Turkey)

• Decrease in tourism income: Due to extreme heat, decrease in tourism income of 16 countries in the Mediterranean that generate 30% of total tourism income of the world,

• Loss of Biological Diversity: 50% loss in North Mediterranean flora and damage in wetland ecosystems

• Increase in severity and number of forest fires: Increase in forest fires, invasive species and weeds and thus spread of forest fires to bigger areas

• Loss of agricultural yields for the crops that require regular irrigation: Loss of yields in crops that require regular irrigation such as wheat, cotton, sugar beet, corn, bean (Estimated cost of the 2007 drought in Turkey on agriculture is 5 billion TL)

• Drought: Water scarcity in underground water, wetlands, and water storage areas due to decrease in precipitation rates

– Precipitation will decrease by 25% in Turkey by 2025

– Agricultural, hydrological, meteorological drought

2˚C INCREASE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

In 2030, Turkey will face water scarcity (especially in the Central Anatolia, Aegean, Mediterranean and

Marmara regions)

For a living planet

We need change and transformation

TOWARDS ONE PLANET FUTURE

?klim ve Enerji

Ya?am Tarz?m?z?

De?i?tirmek:

Ayakizi

Do?am?z?Korumak: Türler ve Alanlar

TEK DÜNYA GELECE??

Safeguarding

Our Nature:

Places & Species

One Planet

Future

Climate & Energy

Changing the Way

We Live:

Footprint

TIME TO TAKE ACTIONGovernments

• Integrated management of freshwater resources• Climate Change Strategies• Revision of agricultural policies and strategies• Kyoto Protocol• Alternative energy resources• Reducing energy loss• Decreasing CO2 emissions in all public spaces starting

with government buildings• Increasing protected areas • Protecting freshwater resources • Short-long term plans about global warming and water

resources in all sectors• Saving energy and freshwater in all sectors

•Urban forests, green spaces

•Protection and efficient management of urban water basins

•Urban transformation: renewing infrastructure

•Prevention of water and energy leakages

•Public transportation services

•Decreasing transportation emissions

•Energy efficient buildings

•Local energy solutions

•Individual and public

TIME TO TAKE ACTIONLocal Governments

• Reduce• Re-use• Re-cycle• Waste management• Comprehensive agricultural strategies• Investing in alternative energy sources• Local energy solutions

• Sectoral strategies to decrease CO2

emissions• Saving energy and water in all sectors• Clean technologies

TIME TO TAKE ACTIONBusiness World

• Changing consumption patterns

• Becoming aware

• Taking action

• Reflecting in business life

• Saving resources

• Informing others

• Right of access to information

• Supporting WWF-Turkey

TIME TO TAKE ACTIONIndividuals

THANK YOU

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