What are the Impacts of Climate Change on Turkey?

When we think of the impacts of climate change on Turkey, most of us think of unexpected weather events. Unfortunately, the global climate crisis is now beginning to have an impact on our country as well. We are all aware of the increasing severe weather events, and floods in Turkey in recent years. Non-sustainable land use, unplanned urbanization, deforestation, and the elimination of natural stream flow channels are further contributing factors. The impacts of climate change are being aggravated by both direct and indirect human activities.

In the coming years, the climate crisis will have an even greater impact. How will the climate crisis affect Turkey? We are discussing the impacts of climate change on Turkey in this article.

What Will Be the Impacts of Climate Change?

Climate change is undoubtedly the most serious problem of the 21st century. Apart from the damage it causes to nature and living species, it also threatens human life and even human generation. This is the reason why international organizations, governments, and institutions are discussing the climate crisis more frequently, and why the word "sustainable" has entered our everyday language. Some countries have already begun to fight drought while some countries are under water. The climate crisis has ceased to be the problem of the future. It is a problem for today and for all of us.

Researches reveal that extreme temperature increases will be experienced in the next 50 years. This increase in temperature, which has already begun to be felt in Turkey, will continue to increase its impact and harms. But what does this mean?

How Climate Change Will Affect Turkey?

As previously mentioned, there are two categories of causes for climate change: natural and human. The primary cause of human-caused climate change is that our modern lifestyle is based on the use of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels for transportation, electricity generation and industrial production causes greenhouse gas emissions. These gases accumulate in the atmosphere and heat our world. Other human activities such as deforestation, contribute to this situation as well.

Scientists states that temperatures will increase dramatically as we approach 2030. The Mediterranean basin, on the other hand, will be one of the most affected regions by climate change. Mediterranean countries will experience drought due to extreme heat. According to the studies, temperatures are expected to rise by 2 degrees in 20 years. Although 2 degrees may not seem like much, it will have a significant impact on the entire region, particularly on Turkey.

Scientists have proved that Turkey is one of the countries that will be most affected by climate change due to global warming. This is due to the fact that the climate crisis has a varying impact on Turkey's diverse geographic and regional characteristics. But what about these varying impacts?

While our arid and semi-arid regions such as the South East and Central Anatolia are struggling with desertification and drought, precipitation and therefore flood disasters (and erosion) will increase in the Black Sea region. Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean regions will face thirst due to drying basins. It is also predicted that the change of sensitive ecosystems will cause an increase in epidemics and pandemics.

First of all, when we say ’climate crisis', we have to explain that we are not just talking about hotter summers and increasingly difficult city life. We will also see the impacts of climate change in agriculture, industry, tourism and the economy. Studies show that there will be a rapid temperature increase towards the end of the 2030s. If global warming continues at its current rate, summer temperatures in western Turkey will be 5-6 degrees warmer. In the research published by WWF, it is predicted that the temperatures will rise by 3 to 4 degrees in the Central and Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia regions. Precipitation will decrease and drought will increase in the South. On the other hand, precipitation will increase and flooding disasters will become more frequent in the Black Sea. The soil structure will also change along with the temperature. This situation will lead to the loss of agricultural data. The decaying ecosystems and the disappearance of living species are also among the expected impacts. The decrease in biological diversity will affect not only living species, but all ecosystems. Moreover, it is predicted that the basins that have already started to become arid will become decertified. A serious reduction in the water resources of our country is expected.

What is the reason for this climate change that is happening?

Causes of Climate Change

There have been great changes in the climate in the history of our world. There have been times when the earth was covered by glaciers from the beginning of human history to the present. These periods—referred to as the ice ages—occurred as a result of changes brought on by natural factors. However, we certainly know that human activities which has intensified since the middle of the 19th century is the fundamental cause of climate change.

The increasing production with the industrial revolution and the use of fossil fuels are the main reason for the ‘human impact’ we are talking about. Climate change is directly proportional to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. With the industrial revolution that started in the 1700s, the release gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone into the atmosphere and waste production increased. Today, all climate scientists agree that the reason for the disruption of the natural balance in the world is human-caused.

The Long History of Climate Change

We mentioned above that when we say climate change today, we are talking about a human-caused climate change. The industrial revolution increased the use of fossil fuels, which led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which is the cause of the climate change we are currently witnessing. The fact that greenhouse gases surround and heat our planet is what we refer to as global warming. This transformation, which we often refer to as the "climate crisis," has a significant impact on both humanity and the world's biodiversity.

However, 'climate change' is not just referred to what is happening today. Our Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. We know that during this time there have been great changes in the climate in certain periods. The reasons for these changes are due to the disruption of the natural balance for various reasons. We are aware that the interactions between the components of the climate system—the Sun, the atmosphere, and the Earth—have changed, causing these significant climate changes.

For example, the cold that affected the northern hemisphere 20,000 years ago caused the European continent to be completely covered with glaciers. The lowering of the sea level resulted in the unification of Siberia and Alaska, as well as the migration of people from Asia to America. As another example, the climatic changes that developed with the temperature increase that took place during the so–called “Mid-Holocene Maximum” 6000-6500 years ago. Another and more ’recent’ example would be the 'Little Ice Age’, which occurred from the mid-1550s and lasted for 300 years.

That is why the United Nations Climate Change Panel uses a definition as “in addition to natural climate change over an acceptable period of time, a change in climate is the result of human influences that directly disrupt the global atmospheric” when creating the definition of "climate change". (United Nations Climate Change Panel IPCC).

So, if climate change began in the world's 4.5 billion-year history, can we say that the climate change we are witnessing today is part of a natural and normal cycle?

No. It has been proven repeatedly by scientists that the causes of global warming experienced today are human-caused. Moreover, this false argument is often used to deny the global warming and climate crisis that is happening today. That is why we have included the ‘long history of climate change’ in our article. Looking at the long history of our world and the changes that have taken place over these 4.5 billion years, it is wrong to claim that the climate change experienced today is ‘natural’.

To summarize, yes, when we look at the long history of the world, we are faced with major climate changes. However, the global warming experienced today is caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions due to the use of fossil fuels, the destruction of the natural environment and the thinning of the ozone layer. It is a fact that this deterioration in the climate will continue to increase if the necessary measures are not taken.

The Impacts of Climate Change and Turkey in a Nutshell

It is possible to summarize the changes to be experienced as follows:

1. A decrease in biodiversity and increase in undesirable species and insect infestation.
2. An increase in forest fires.
3. The thirst and drought that will occur as the amount of precipitation decreases.
4. The increased food crisis with the reduction of agricultural areas and the decline of agricultural productivity.
5. The desertification that will occur with the increase in temperature.

This situation will affect not only nature. It will result in a drop in agriculture, tourism, the economy, and many other sectors, as well as an increase in economic pressure on the state. Moreover, as the climate crisis increases its impacts, it is estimated that there will be migration to our country from Turkey's southern and southeastern neighbors. It is possible to predict that this increase in population will leave Turkey's resources in an even more difficult situation. The climate crisis also means social unrest, overcrowding and the rapid increase of populations that are already piling into cities. The injustice in access to water also appears as a problem.

What Shall We Do?

The Earth has been the scene of great changes in its 4.5 billion-year history, and there have been great changes in the climate. However, after the industrial revolution various human activities began to directly affect the climate. All scientists agree on the point that the global warming we are experiencing today is human-caused. The increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions is the primary cause of this warming. On the other hand, the phrase "climate crisis" is used to describe the socio-economic and environmental consequences that this human-caused global warming has already begun to produce and will increase violently.

Turkey will be one of the countries most affected by the climate change related to global warming. We can already predict the impacts of the climate crisis.

So, can the terrible impacts listed above be prevented? Yes. There is a lot to be done about climate change, which has started to affect our normal life and is putting Turkey under increasing threat. The reduction of fossil fuel use is the most crucial of these. If the use of renewable energy resources increases, it is possible for us to prevent climate change due to global warming.

What Do We Do At Enerjisa?

We are doing our part at Enerjisa. As the leading electricity distribution, retail, customer solutions and e-mobility company in Turkey, the construction of our common future is our priority. At Enerjisa, it is our priority to be a role model in our industry and a pioneer in green energy. Therefore, 56% of our installed power is generated from domestic and renewable energy resources. We are working non-stop for Turkey and for future generations with our 12 hydroelectric power plants, 5 wind power plants and 2 solar power plants. We determine all our investment and strategic priorities as part of sustainability. We continue to invest in renewable energy resources. We carry out the sustainability transformation of businesses via our Enerjisa Energy of My Business services. The SENTRUM project we launched in Küçükköy, Ayvalık enabled us to create sustainable tourism practices of the future from today. 

​Click for more information about SENTRUM and to review the Green Destination Küçükköy report.

It is time to take action and reconsider our impact on the world without any despair. At Enerjisa, we will continue to shape tomorrow starting from today.