Ecology

The world is face to face with a great climate crisis: global climate change is threatening the lives of various spices. Careless consumption of natural resources and the unquestioned acknowledgement of economic growth causes tens of big and local environmental problems. Maintaining the existent economic system magnifies those problems even further.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation Turkey Representation sees ecology as one of the essential areas of politics. It questions the necessary radical changes for a sustainable life both in theory and practice, and strives for developing policies in that regard.

Our ecology program consists of three subtitles; climate change, energy, and social and ecological transformation.

The Alibeyköy reservoir pictured on Jan. 7, 2024.

When it rains it stores: Mitigating drought in İstanbul

Article

In terms of both population distribution and water resources, İstanbul is divided between eastern and western water basins, or Asian and European districts, the latter of which faces several challenges in distributing water resources.

By Matt Hanson and Sema Beşevli

From Ahmetler village, bare hilltops that were scorched in the 2021 wildfires are visible in a distance

Turkey’s 2021 wildfires were a warning. Some lessons were noted, others not

Article

Across the Mediterranean region, rising temperatures and shifting rain patterns are exacerbating wildfire risks. The 2021 blazes represent a warning for Turkey, which was unequipped and understaffed to quickly bring the fires under control.

By Gonca Tokyol

Activists protest the logging of the Akbelen forest in İkizköy, Muğla

Young climate activists feel deterred by financial and legal pressures in Turkey

Article

Yet a closer look at these images shows few young faces among the protestors. The same is true for other recent acts of environmental activism in Turkey.

By Anna Montraveta Riu , Carlos Ortega Sánchez and Burcu Dolanbay

Kocaeli municipality employees inspect geotextile bags used to filter mud from the bottom of İzmit Gulf.

Marmara Sea restoration efforts are underway. They may not prevent a new sea snot outbreak

Article

Experts say minimizing the flow of new organic materials into the sea – like phosphorus and nitrogen which constitute fertilizer for phytoplankton and algae – is the most important factor in preventing future outbreaks.

By Miriane Demers-Lemay and Nicole Graaf

Dossier on the UN Biodiversity Conference in Cancún (CBD COP 13)

Mainstreaming Biodiversity is the central motto of the Cancún conference taking place 4-17 December, 2016. Our dossier follows the negoations in Mexico particularly on the issues of Synthetic Biology, New Economy of Nature and Geoengineering.

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