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Turkey’s cities are generally poor in green spaces. In other words, most urban areas in Turkey have not adopted the concept of “sponge cities.” As a result, they are more vulnerable to heavy rainfall, increasing the risk of urban floods and waterlogging. These events can lead to significant loss of life and property.
Research shows that marginalized and low-income communities, particularly those living in urban slums, are the most vulnerable to climate-related risks in cities.
The “Sponge City” concept has emerged as a sustainable urban planning model to address flooding and water management issues caused by climate change and rapid urbanization. Cities like Wuhan in China, Singapore, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands are leading examples of this approach.
By incorporating green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable pavements, sponge cities reduce flood risks while protecting underground water resources. They promote sustainable living by improving water management and increasing biodiversity.
Climate change can be described as a trend. Temperatures rise, and rainfall tends to either decrease or increase. For this reason, the most critical period is always the one that lies ahead. Tomorrow will be tougher than today, and the day after tomorrow tougher than tomorrow. This is the nature of climate as reflected in long-term averages.
However, because climate can vary from year to year, there may be occasional periods when a given year is cooler or wetter than the previous one. These anomalies are sometimes misinterpreted. Yet as long as the trend of warming and changing precipitation continues driven by greenhouse gas emissions the most critical period will always be the one that follows.
There is a general understanding in Turkey of how climate change is developing and what its impacts are likely to be. Existing studies provide a clear picture of the situation. However, the next step, conducting vulnerability and risk analyses and implementing adaptation strategies, has not yet been fully completed across all sectors. Work in this area is still ongoing.
Public institutions have commissioned projects and reports on climate change, but when it comes to implementing the recommendations of these reports, progress is often slow. This is partly due to uncertainties in the studies themselves, but more often it results from decision-makers and policymakers prioritizing other agendas.
This is the case even though Turkey is recognized as one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. At the societal level, there is still a lack of sufficient knowledge and awareness about climate change. As a result, there is not enough public pressure on policymakers to advance adaptation strategies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
