Climate Change in Türkiye Report

As in all societies and countries worldwide, Türkiye faces the bitter truth of climate change. So, what is climate change in the Türkiye report?

We have been experiencing summers of record-breaking heats one after the other in Türkiye in recent years. Severe heat waves resulted in forest fires in the southwestern part of Türkiye, agricultural lands have been affected, and some parts of the country faces famine due to intense drought. As a result of climate change, the country has been affected by flood disasters.

Research reveals that carbon emissions of Türkiye increase exponentially. In the past 60 years, our carbon emissions have ascended 24 times.. This increase is directly proportional to increasing industrialization, urbanization and population. According to 2018 data, our per capita carbon emissions increased by eight times, and are above the global average. Türkiye ranks the 16th country with the highest carbon emissions in the G20 countries.

According to the G20 Climate Risk Atlas, if Türkiye does not stop the high carbon emissions, the country is close to facing devastating climate impacts. If a contingency plan is not implemented, we will be experiencing famine in agriculture, coastal erosions and increased numbers of adverse weather events by 2050.

Moreover, the UN climate report singles out the Mediterranean Basin will bear a disproportionate brunt of global warming. The same report mentions that the Mediterranean will most likely become progressively drier and drastically warmer at higher levels of global warming. Therefore, it is a must for Türkiye to take action today to secure a low-carbon future. Furthermore, it is of great importance that Mediterranean countries act together and encourage each other to take precautions. The Mediterranean is a unique ecosystem and the countries that make up the basin have great ecological impacts on each other.

So, what kind of changes do scientists project in the climate of Türkiye?

Projected Changes in Türkiye Climate and Their Consequences

​The UN Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021 report deduces that Türkiye will be experiencing three accelerating trends:

• Increasing temperatures,
• Drought,
• Rising sea levels.

By 2050, temperatures are expected to rise 2.5°C in the eastern and central parts of Türkiye and 1.5°C in the coastal areas. Temperatures exceeding 40°C are expected in summer seasons.

Moreover, the annual precipitation amount in Türkiye is expected to decrease by approximately 10% in the west and in the Mediterranean basin by 2050. Thus, water scarcity and drought periods are expected to increase, while snowfall is expected to decrease in the mountains due to the retreat of the glaciers, where half of the country's water is supplied.

One of the vital problems is drying of lakes of Türkiye, and the resulting drought is another alarming indicator. These lakes supply fresh water to megacities, such as Istanbul. According to the data of the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration, over 80 percent of the water reserves in lakes are in danger of drying. Moreover, the most significant water resources of Istanbul, including Terkos and Sazlıdere lakes, are in danger according to scientists. Scientists indicate that Sazlıdere Lake could lose up to 60% of its size. As the water levels of the streams that supply the energy of the hydroelectric industry in Türkiye decrease, the energy industry may also need to develop new strategies.

Furthermore, water scarcity can lead to famine as the agriculture industry accounts for 74% of water consumption in Türkiye. Therefore, agriculture and livestock industries shall be subject to strict regulations. Famine is one of the vital issues that threaten the sustainable future of our country.

Rising sea levels lead to another problem. The Eastern Mediterranean may rise by 25 cm and approximately 1 meter by 2050 and 2100, respectively. Rising sea levels will have significant impacts on the infrastructure, roads and bridges, power utilities in the coastal areas of Türkiye as well as Istanbul.

For further details, check our article regarding the Impact of Climate Change on Türkiye here.

Possible Other Effects of the Climate Crisis

Global warming and climate change may lead to a sudden increase in natural disasters that Türkiye is already struggling with. Extreme natural imbalances and events can affect people, the economy, and national security. Large movements of refugees due to the climate crisis are expected, particularly from the southern neighbors of Türkiye. The drying up of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers will lead to drought in Iraq and Syria and an increase in movements of climate refugees. Infrastructure, economic systems and organizations in Türkiye are not ready for these large movements.

We are aware that we paint a disturbing picture, but remember, there are plenty of reasons to have hope and take action!

The Promising Figures

The Konda Report, which consists of data acquired by face-to-face interviews in 2022, reveals that awareness on climate change has increased:

• About 83% of the respondents consider climate change a material issue.
• There is widespread public opinion (86%) regarding climate change.
• The majority of the population (75%) state that they are concerned about climate change.

The data present the fact that the awareness level in our country exceeds most of the European countries. Moreover, the Konda Research underlines the fact that solar and wind energy is mostly preferred in Türkiye as energy resources.

In brief, there is still hope for our country!

Climate Change in Türkiye: On the path to 2050

Significant changes and transformations are required in several sectors for Türkiye to achieve its planned target of “net zero emission” by 2053;

• Invest in green energy,
• Implement energy efficiency practices in buildings,
• Change in transportation: Invest in public transport and EVs,
• Change current practices to maximize carbon sequestration by forest lands,
• Amend legislation in industry, agriculture, waste management, water management with the purpose of reducing emissions,
• Adapt companies and people by expanding the provision of climate and disaster risk information by public institutions,
• Improve strength against risks associated with rising sea levels,
• Protect critical public assets and services,
• Carry out activities to achieve resilience in macro financial policies, including assessment of financial costs of climate change and disasters and reflection of contingent liabilities in financial policies, budget allocations and public investments,
• Expand financing of disaster risks.

In brief, in order to achieve transition to a decarbonized and resilient development path, Türkiye shall carry out investments, regulate legislation, develop financing models and begin infrastructure transformation today.

What we do at Enerjisa

We are the leading electricity distribution, retail, customer solutions and e-mobility company in Türkiye. We consider the construction of a sustainable future for our country and the world our responsibility. We put efforts to become a role model in our industry.

It is a top priority for us to be a pioneering company in green energy. Thus, 56% of our installed capacity is composed of domestic and renewable energy resources. We keep putting all our efforts for Türkiye as well as future generations through our 12 hydroelectric power plants, 5 wind power plants and 2 solar power plants. Furthermore, we define all our investment priorities as part of sustainability. We continue to invest in renewable energy resources.

• We support the sustainability transformation of organizations via our services provided as part Enerjisa Energy of My Business projects.
• The SENTRUM project that we launched in Küçükköy, Ayvalık enabled us to develop sustainable tourism practices of future today. In order to get further details on SENTRUM and check the Green Destination Küçükköy report, please click here.
• We carry out comprehensive projects for our Net Zero Target and emission reduction strategies. We have defined our climate strategy and keep sharing it with our stakeholders.
• We launched the ‘A Better Future’ Platform with the vision of a sustainable, egalitarian, smart and green world. Click here for further details regarding the platform.

At Enerjisa, we will continue to shape our future starting from today and partake in the construction of a sustainable future for Türkiye.