Climate Change Impacts in the Mediterranean to Be Mitigated

The "Regional Climate Change Activity Centre" to be established in Istanbul will implement national and regional projects to reduce the effects of climate change in the Mediterranean and ensure regional adaptation to climate change. The idea of establishing a "Regional Climate Change Activity Centre (CC/RAC)" in Turkey was first introduced at the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention held in Antalya in 2021, attended by Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Subsequently, a proposal was put forward to make the Mediterranean Climate Change Research Centre (AİDAM), which operates under Ankara University's National Research Centre for Maritime Law (DEHUKAM), a component of the United Nations Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) and to grant it the status of "Regional Climate Change Activity Centre". At the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention held in Slovenia this year, the decision to establish the centre was unanimously approved as a result of negotiations conducted by the Turkish delegation, represented by Vice Minister Fatma Varank of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and diplomatic initiatives carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The centre to be established in Istanbul will complete its establishment processes within 2 years and will open during the 24th Conference of the Parties to the Barcelona Convention to be held in December 2025. The centre will implement national and regional projects by utilizing UN and EU funds for reducing the effects of climate change on the Mediterranean Region and ensuring regional adaptation to climate change. DEHUKAM Director Mustafa Başkara stated that the Barcelona Convention is an agreement adopted against marine pollution within the framework of the UN Environment Programme Mediterranean Action Plan, aimed at protecting the Mediterranean from pollution within the scope of regional seas. Describing this convention, to which all coastal states and the European Union in the Mediterranean Region are parties, as more effective and functional compared to other regional marine protection agreements in the world, Başkara said, "Turkey holds an important position here because it is the only country in the world that is subject to two different marine protection agreements simultaneously. The fact that it is a party to both the Barcelona Convention in the Mediterranean and the Bucharest Convention in the Black Sea, and is able to manage the diplomatic processes of both, places Turkey in an unprecedented position." Stating that the Mediterranean is affected much more by climate change than other seas in the world and that Turkey is one of the countries experiencing the effects of climate change most intensely and effectively in its geographical location, Başkara assessed that the establishment of the Regional Climate Change Activity Centre in Turkey would serve as a role model for other global efforts in terms of the many developments and efforts in this field producing added value internationally. Başkara conveyed that the centre would be subjected to analytical studies with other regional activity centres during the 2-year process and would be positioned to benefit from UN funds in an equal and fair manner. Expressing that climate change studies conducted in the Mediterranean are currently not receiving the value they deserve, Başkara stated, "Currently, the share of combating climate change in the Barcelona Convention budget remains limited to 4 percent. The centre will support research on preventing the effects of climate change in the Mediterranean, mitigation and adaptation. It will encourage and coordinate more regional work for the Mediterranean to receive the value it deserves, and by identifying new project ideas, it will enable more work to be carried out."  

"It will differ from other centres in terms of inclusiveness"

Noting that climate change has many technical aspects and that work and research related to these will be coordinated under the UN umbrella to serve the entire world with Turkey's support, Başkara continued as follows: "We attach importance to the centre's independence and impartiality. The fact that DEHUKAM will carry out this work was appreciated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and the UN welcomed this. Combating climate change is not an issue where countries can see results from today to tomorrow. At this point, we are committed to operating to make important contributions to this struggle. The studies to be conducted and activities to be carried out at the regional level will not only result in reducing the effect of climate change in the Mediterranean, but will also serve as an example for other regional sea conventions under the UN umbrella."   Explaining that there are 6 separate regional activity centres under the Barcelona Convention, Başkara pointed out that the centre to be established in Turkey will differ from the others in terms of inclusiveness. Başkara stated, "Each of these centres works separately on marine litter, biodiversity, marine spatial planning, and gathering and coordinating information. Unlike these, our centre is positioned to address the entirety of the Barcelona Convention and its annexes, approaching the issue from a more comprehensive framework." Source