Türkiye continues to fight against climate change at the local level. With the EU Partnership for Local Climate Action in Türkiye Project, the preparation of Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP) for six pilot provinces is targeted to strengthen local climate action.
The initial visits of the project were made to Ordu and Elazığ. Subsequently, field visits were conducted in Antalya, Isparta, Kahramanmaraş, and Kastamonu. The representatives from the Directorate of Climate Change, Department of Adaptation and Local Policies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Türkiye project team shared details and future activities related to the project with local municipalities.
During the visits, the preparation processes of the project and action plans were discussed in detail. The meetings were held with the representatives of Isparta Municipality Branch of Climate Change and Zero Waste on 29 February 2024, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Department of Climate Change and Zero Waste as well as Department of Foreign Affairs on 1 March 2024, Kastamonu Municipality Branch of Climate Change and Zero Waste on 4 March 2024, and Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality Department of Environmental Protection and Control on 7 March 2024.
The field visits revealed important points such as the lack of initiatives on local climate action planning, low technical and administrative capacity, and difficulty in obtaining data. The capacity building activities planned under the project, which will be shaped in line with the results of the needs and capacity assessment, are aimed to increase the awareness and knowledge of local stakeholders and to strengthen their administrative, technical, and financial capacities.
Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality, Ordu Metropolitan Municipality, Elazığ Municipality, Isparta Municipality, and Kastamonu Municipality will soon start the process of developing Local Climate Change Strategies and Action Plans.
The pilot provinces are determined to advance towards a sustainable future by taking a leading role in Türkiye’s fight against climate change.