DESERTIFICATION STATUS OF TURKEY

DESERTIFICATION STATUS OF TURKEY Global warming, climate change, desertification and drought are today s most serious problems. As of it s geographical position, Turkey will be the most affected country by these problems. 65% of Turkey, arid and semi-arid characteristics.

OVERVIEW OF TURKEY Total amount of arid and semi-arid areas in Turkey is 51 million hectares. (65%) Rainfall is generally inadequate and irregular.

OVERVIEW OF TURKEY Turkey; because of it s climate, topography and soil characteristics, has a lot of different ecosystems. And it s very sensitive to erosion and flood disasters.

OVERVIEW OF TURKEY 40% of our soils are 0-20cm, 33% are 20-50cm in depth. 2% of lands are not suitable for plant growing, because of alkali and salinity problems. Because of these reasons, the growing conditions in Turkey vary over short distances.

EROSION STATUS One of the main problem of watersheds is erosion. 54% of forest lands, 59% of agricultural lands and 64% of rangelands have moderate and severe erosion problem.

TURKEY S FOREST ASSETS 27,7% of total area of Turkey is forests. It is 21,6 million hectares. Productive Un productive % 52 % 48

COMBATING DESERTIFICATON Afforestration, Erosion Control Activities, Rehabilitation of Degreaded Forest, Range reclamation, are the most effective COMBATING DESERTIFICATON methods. 8

POLICY CHANGES IN AFFORESTATION- REFORESTATION Establishment of plantations adaptable to climate change giving priority to the local natural tree species, Formulation and implementation of watershed based projects and activities on dam reservoirs, watersheds exposed to torrents and floods, Selection of suitable species in watersheds allocated for water harvesting Planting seedlings at variable lines and intervals according to the aims of plantations

COMBATING WITH FLOOD, OVERFLOWS AND EROSION Integrated watershed projects should be formulated upstream of agricultural lands, forest lands, and rangelands under flood risk in order to help the re-establishment of balance of nature. Activities on planning and identification of watersheds under flood risk have been going on.

PLANTATIONS FOR SOIL CONSERVATION Terrace with workers

KNITTING FENCE

FASCINE TERRACE

GULLY RECLAMATION FACILITY CHECK DAM

GULLY RECLAMATION FACILITY CHAIN LINK FENCE DAM

GULLY RECLAMATION FACILITY SOIL WITH SACK DAM

Studies on erosion control were accelerated in recent years

Studies on erosion control were accelerated in recent years 19

Another photo of the erosion control works on the site CEDRUS REHABILITATION

MINI EXCAVATOR WITH TERRACE BUILDING

TERRACE WITH SPIDER EXCAVATOR

Sand Dune Fixation Activities 46.583 hectares of land is covered by sand dunes along the 8333 kms of coastline; Dune is an important part of our country s ecosystem with its unique flora and fauna. Sand dunes, easily triggered by anthropogenic influences, give extensive damage to the environment. Destruction of dune vegetation, improper land use and overgrazing cause acceleration of dune erosion and deterioration of dune features.

In Turkey, sand dune fixation were carried out in a total of 11.000 hectares.

Konya Closed Watershed and Prevention of wind erosion project in Iğdır-Aralık and model implementations continues. Konya-Karapınar a Iğdır-Aralık-Ephedra Distachya Iğdır-Aralık 2004 Iğdır-Aralık 2009 28

KONYA CLOSED WATERSHED COMBATING DESERTIFICATION AND EROSION PROJECT Model implementation project which is improving suitable wind breaks continues for Combating Desertification and Erosion Project in Konya Closed Watershed,

COMBATING EROSION Erosion control works have been completed in 1.080.631 hectares land between 1946-2011

GREEN BELT AFFORESTATION ACTIVITIES

GREEN BELT AFFORESTATION ACTIVITIES Sinop-Boyabat 2000 li Yıllar 49

54 AFFORESTATION ACTIVITIES Afforestation studies on an area of 2.081.107 hectares in total were made until the end of 2010.

REHABILITATION OF DEGREADED FORESTS Through rehabilitation; degraded forest areas are turned into productive forest areas, by protecting present species without making any harm on forest ecosystem, by supplying gaps with suitable species and by taking precautions for erosion.

REHABILITATION OF DEGREADED FORESTS

CEDRUS REHABILITATION Cedar rehabilitation area in Mersin

CEDRUS REHABILITATION

CEDRUS REHABILITATION At the stony and rocky terrains up to 55-60% slope, with single ripper mounted excavators, we process the soil, parallel to the land contour lines. With this method we create appropriate conditions for sowing and planting.

CEDRUS, JUNIPERUS REHABILITATION A Juniperus occicedrus nearly a thousand years old.

CEDRUS, JUNIPERUS REHABILITATION

CEDRUS REHABILITATION Mut Adras-2010-1000 Ha.

CEDRUS REHABILITATION Mut Karacaoğlan-2010 1.200 Ha.

CEDRUS REHABILITATION Mut-Alahan-2010-200 Ha.

CEDRUS REHABILITATION A succesful plantation site in it s 7th year.

CEDRUS REHABILITATION Cedar sites degraded by human hands. - Çıkrıcak Valley

CEDRUS REHABILITATION

CEDRUS REHABILITATION Sowing Cedar seeds mixed with cone carpels on snow. November

CEDRUS REHABILITATION Sowing Cedar seeds mixed with carpels on snow. 400 kg per Ha. ( 520.000 seeds per Ha. )

Cedar seed sowing with helikopters in remote areas.

With the participation of the President of the Turkish Republic Abdullah Gül, Cedar seed sowing.

CEDRUS REHABILITATION

CEDRUS, PINUS NIGRA REHABILITATION Cedar rehabilitation on the extreme soil conditions - Çıkrıcak

CEDRUS, QUERCUS REHABILITATION

2004 Sowing - Kekikkoyağı

CEDRUS REHABILITATION A restored site

CEDRUS REHABILITATION

REHABILITATION OF DEGRADED FORESTS By the end of 2011, 2.144.964 hectares of damaged forest area has been rehabilitated.

RANGE RECLAMATION

A FIELD OPENED TO CONTROLLED GRAZING

NOMADIC LIFE IN TURKEY

PRODUCTION OF SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS

SEED PRODUCTION Seeds used in the production of seedlings are provided from seed stands and seed orchards with trees of superior quality. There are 1197 hectares of 176 seed orchards, 46.900 hectares of 346 seed stands throughout the country.

Juggling for cones

Container Seedling Production In Modern Greenhouses. In 8 provinces, 43 modern greenhouses with an indoor area of 35.260 m 2 and 25 million capacity per year, used for seedling production.

TREES RECLAMATION ACTIVIES Plus trees are genetically copied. Grafted seedlings are produced for seed orchards.

535 million pieces 460 million 117 million 2002 2011 2015 Target 73

Afforestation, erosion control and forest rehabilitation activities were made 6.876.611 hectares land between 1946-2011 in Turkey. 74

For more effective and sustainable combat with desertification and erosion throughout the country, National Watershed Strategy Document is being prepared. Combating Desertification and Erosion Strategy Document is being prepared and will be completed in 2012. 75

For the purpose of combating desertification and erosion throughout the country, Combating Desertification Action Plan Combating Erosion Action Plan will be completed in 2012. 76

National Basin Database completed in 2011. The Desertification Monitoring System, Erosion and Sediment Monitoring System will be completed in 2013. 77

National Watershed Database Geographic Data Layers Watershed Soil&Agriculture Forest IRS Satellite Imagery IKONOS Imagery Satellite Imagery Hydrology Geology Land Cover Erosion Watershed Protection Plan Water Observation Network 78

In 21.310 forest village, 7.079.497 people lives. This population is equal to 40% of the total village population. 79

Production, transportation and afforestation works are being done by forest villagers and cooperatives. 80

Gene Conservation Areas have been identified in order to protect plant and animal species genes of our country. 81

WILDLIFE CORRIDOR AFFORESTATION PROJECT First, Northeast Wildlife Corridor Afforestation Project preperation works which along 80 km have been started. Within this project, seperated ecological habitats will be connected, sustainability of wildlife and biological diversity will be ensured.

Ecosystem Bridge Gülek/Mersin

THE TRANSFERING AND CULTIVATION OF ENDEMIC SPECIES WHICH WILL REMAIN BENEATH BARRAGE LAKE PROJECT The Identifying, Transfering and Cultivation of Endemic Plant Species Which Remained Beneath the Artvin-Deriner Barrage Lake Project is done and the endemic species are transferred.

UN s forestry summits and forum have been held in New York till now. For the first time in it s history the summit will be in Turkey in 2013. Thus the 10th. Forestry Summit will be in İstanbul in 2013. 85

CONFERENCE ON INTERACTION AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES IN ASIA (CICA) Our General Directorate participated to the meetings of the Special Working Group and Committee of the Senior Officials in Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) which was held in Istanbul on 28-29 February 2012. As a result of the decision taken at the meeting, Regional Research and Training Center on Combating Desertification will be established in Turkey. 86

Turkey is giving trainings to the experts of Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Africa and neighbouring countries on combating desertification and erosion. 87

THANK YOU M.MUSTAFA GÖZÜKARA GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF COMBATING DESERTIFICATION AND EROSION