Living Land

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The Afforestation and Erosion Control

Mobilization Action Plan in Turkey

M. Abdullah Yurtoglu, Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, General Directorate

of Combating Desertification and Erosion, Department of Combating Desertification, Turkey

he effects of a rapidly growing world population

and the extension of the global economy mean that

the stress on natural resources is increasing day by

day. As a result of overconsumption, fundamental indica-

tors of the environment are gradually being degraded.

Forest areas shrink, the water level decreases, erosion leads to

soil loss, wetlands disappear, rangelands are degraded, rivers dry

up, the average temperature increases, coral islands are dying,

and species of plants and animals become extinct. The global

economy, which is continuously developing and extending, will

eventually destroy its own life-support system, Earth’s ecosystem,

unless necessary precautions are taken. The world needs to solve

this problem by designing a system that can provide for the basic

needs of all people without self-destruction.

Turkey is among the countries facing a high level of land

degradation and erosion due to topographical structure, climate

and improper agricultural practices, overdestruction of range and

forest lands and the sensitivity of most of the lands to erosion.

The problems caused by climate change and global warming as

a result of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere are

continually increasing. Our country is among those that would

be affected severely by these problems. In order to re-establish the

greenhouse gas balance in the atmosphere, we need to decrease

greenhouse gas releases and increase carbon sinks.

Immediate rehabilitation of infertile forests and afforestation

wherever possible are among the most efficient precautions

to be taken against global warming and the climate change it

causes. To achieve this, a cooperative project was implemented

by Turkey’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry (now the

Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs) and public institutions

and organizations, municipalities, non-governmental organiza-

tions and the community assigned by National Afforestation and

Erosion Control Mobilization Law no. 4122.

Our greatest aim was to increase the forest lands, which are

important carbon sink areas, in order to achieve a balance in the

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. At the earliest opportu-

nity, forest assets should be increased, degraded forests should

be rehabilitated, and soil loss through lakes, dam reservoirs and

seas should be prevented by combating erosion. Therefore, we

felt the need to mobilize the resources of our country and accel-

erate the works in order to achieve this aim as soon as possible.

The National Afforestation and Erosion Control Mobilization

Action Plan prescribed the need for coordinated work among

Afforestation and rehabilitation of forests is one of the most efficient

precautions against global warming and climate change

Roadsides were among the areas afforested, with planting on 8,135 km of

highways and 2,262 km of village road

Image: Min. of Forestry and Water Affairs, Turkey

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