Promoting Urban Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure in Turkey

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by Matthew Koehorst, The Nature Conservation Center (DKM)

Representatives from the Nature and Cities project gather at a workshop

DKM

The Nature and Cities project commenced in April 2019 with the objective of enhancing dialogue, know-how and cooperation between civil society organisations in Turkey and the Netherlands. Funded by the Supporting Civil Society Dialogue Between EU and Turkey Grant Scheme (CSD-V), the project aims to promote ecosystem services, nature-based solutions (NbS) and green infrastructure (GI) in cities as effective measures for climate change adaptation. The project also seeks to raise awareness on the environmental benefits of EU membership. The project has consisted in a number of interventions, meetings, workshops, and reports in both Turkey and the Netherlands that seek to stimulate dialogue, collaboration and knowledge exchange around NbS and GI topics in each country.

Last update: 15 Oct 2020

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Context

Challenges addressed

Extreme heat

Scale of implementation

Local

Ecosystems

Connective infrastructure, networks and corridors

Green roofs / Green walls

Green spaces (parks, gardens, urban forests)

Urban wetlands

Theme

Ecosystem services

Urban planning

Location

Ankara, Ankara, Turkey

East Europe

Impacts

The project has resulted in a wide range of workshops, forum meetings, news items and events that have enhanced dialogue and cooperation around NbS and GI in cities in Turkey and the Netherlands.

Commitments to 10 different components of NbS and GI were signed by the representatives from the Netherlands (one municipality and three NGOs) and Turkey (five NGOs, two municipalities and two universities).

Stakeholders working on, or interested in, GI and NbS met through study visits and workshops organised under the scope of the project in Ankara (August, September, October 2019) and Tilburg (July 2019). These events strengthened cooperation between the Netherlands and Turkey on GI and NBS, while facilitating the exchange of the cultural values between the two countries.

A total of 330 people from different NGOs, municipalities, ministries, and universities participated in awareness-raising activities on the importance of NbS and GI through workshops and documentary screenings.