More than 100 forest fires that broke out in different provinces of Türkiye in July 2021, causing the destruction of 178 thousand hectares of forest area, have painfully shown us the effects of climate change.
The recent spate of forest fires and floods has shown that public awareness of what exactly climate change means and what causes it, and precisely what problems and risks it poses for the environment, including forests, and the livelihoods of future generations, is slowly improving but still remains low.
We received support from the Support Foundation for Civil Society Forest Fires Emergency Support Fund. We tried to contribute to both reducing Türkiye’s greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change by raising public awareness about natural disasters caused by climate change and the measures and methods of combating these disasters, and by enabling environmentally friendly habits.
Through the online Climate and Nature Literacy pieces of training we organized within the scope of the project, we increased the knowledge and skills of the people of the Mediterranean region, who have been or may be exposed to forest fires, about the causes of the climate crisis and its impacts on Türkiye. These natural disasters may arise from these impacts, and the precautions and combat methods for these disasters and environmentally friendly living practices.
This awareness training brought together young and adult citizens from different ethnic, social, and political groups, from every line of work, every socio-economic category, and every level of education residing in Muğla and Antalya provinces, and 244 people were reached. With the multiplier effect of the project, local community leaders such as teachers, mukhtars, imams, and NGO representatives had the opportunity to disseminate these training courses.
Thus, the participants involved in the project have gained environmentally friendly daily habits in line with the motivation to combat climate change and natural disasters caused by it, and have influenced their immediate environment who witness their daily routines in their private lives and professional backgrounds.
