Rio+20 and Sustainable Development Goals

Rio+20 and Sustainable Development Goals

Issue: 79
July 2012
From the Representative:
Rio+20 and Sustainable Development Goals
'When the speeches
are over’
Turkey's sustainable development report:
Claiming the future
UNDP proposes human development
measure of sustainability
Turkey's first biosphere reserve
is getting ready for the future
From the Representative: Rio+20
and Sustainable Development
Goals*
The UN Sustainable Development Conference held in Rio in
late June has recognized the impor tance and utility of a set of
sustainable development goals. The goals should address and
incorporate in a balanced way all three dimensions of
sustainable development and their interlinkages.
Ankara, July 2012
They should be coherent with and integrated into the United Nations
development agenda beyond 2015.
The development of these goals should not divert focus or effort from the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
These sustainable development goals should be action-oriented, concise
and easy to communicate, limited in number.
Governments should drive implementation with the active involvement of
all relevant stakeholders, as appropriate.
Rio+20 Earth Summit decided to set up an inclusive and transparent
intergovernmental process, on sustainable development goals, that is
open to all stakeholders.
An open working group shall be constituted no later than at the opening
of the sixty-seventh session of the Assembly, which is in September this
year.
It will submit a report, to the sixty-eighth session of the Assembly,
containing a proposal for sustainable development goals.
The initial input to the work of the working group will be provided by the
Secretary-General, in consultation with national Governments.
Obviously the progress towards the achievement of the goals needs to be
assessed and accompanied by targets and indicators.
The relevant bodies of the United Nations system, will support the
regional economic commissions in collecting and compiling national
inputs in order to inform this global effort.
Rio+20 reaffirmed that developing countries need additional resources for
sustainable development.
Good governance and the rule of law at the national and international
levels are essential for sustained, inclusive and equitable economic
growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and
hunger.
New partnerships and innovative sources of financing can play a role in
complementing sources of financing for sustainable development.
Shahid Najam
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP
Resident Representative in Turkey
In that sense fulfilment of all commitments related to ODA is crucial,
including the commitments by many developed countries to achieve the
target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) for ODA to
developing countries by 2015, as well as a target of 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of
GNP for ODA to the least developed countries.
During Rio+20, participant parties reiterated their support for SouthSouth cooperation, as well as triangular cooperation.
Private sector was also on the agenda as it is a valuable instrument that
can offer a crucial contribution to economic growth and reducing poverty
and promoting sustainable development.
Turkey ’s presence in Rio
During Rio+20 Summit, Turkey was one of the most active participants. It
hosted a high level side event in which UN Secretary General and UNDP
Administrator was present.
Turkey’s contributions to this conference were not all about the physical
participation.
Two important documents adopted last year and this year in Istanbul
were among the major inputs to the Rio+20 Outcome Document.
As you might remember, in March this year, Turkey and UNDP coorganized our first Global Human Development Forum, bringing together
more than two hundred participants from across the globe.
The “Istanbul Declaration: Towards an Equitable and Sustainable Future
for All”, which emerged from deliberations at the Forum, was the starting
point of Rio+20.
The Istanbul Declaration had also recognized the need to maintain
progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,
while also building consensus for a refreshed post-2015 development
agenda.
So as the Least Developed Countries, Rio+20 agreed to effectively
implement the Istanbul Programme of Action for enabling half of the least
developed countries to meet the criteria of graduation by 2020.
Allow me to thank the Government of Turkey for partnering with UNDP
across a number of initiatives during Rio+20 Earth Summit process.
* Shahid Najam, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey and UN
Resident Coordinator in Turkey
'When the speeches are over’
UN Secretar y-General Ban Ki-moon urged world leaders to build on the
commitments they made during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20) to achieve economic, environmental and social prosperity
for people all over the world.
Ankara, July 2012
“The speeches are over. Now the work begins,” Mr. Ban said at the closing ceremony of the three-day summit, in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil.
Rio+20 was attended by some 100 Heads of State and government, along with thousands of representatives from
non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society, all seeking to help shape new policies to
promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.
In his remarks at the ceremony, the UN chief said he was also encouraged by the more than 700 concrete
commitments registered at the Conference from governments, business, industry, financial institutions and civil
society among other groups.
Some $513 billion in funding was committed during Rio+20 for several issues, including energy, food security, access
to drinking water and management of the oceans, among others.
A wide range of actions have also been pledged, such as planting 100 million trees, empowering 5,000 women
entrepreneurs in green economy businesses in Africa, and recycling 800,000 tons of polyvinyl chloride (commonly
known as PVC) – one of the most widely used plastics – per year.
A key element on Rio+20 was its outcome document, entitled “The Future We Want” and agreed on by Member
States after negotiations.
Call for action
The outcome document calls for a wide range of actions.
These include beginning the process to establish sustainable development goals; detailing how the green economy
can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP);
promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess
the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework
for tackling sustainable consumption and production.
It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable
development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.
More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society
leaders – attended Rio+20 from 20-22 June.
The event followed on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted
Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.
Over 50 million people from all over the world also participated in the Conference through social media platforms,
voicing their comments, opinions and ideas, making the platforms a key component in establishing a conversation
on sustainability issues both in the lead up and during the Conference.
"From Rio to 2015 and beyond: Charting a
course for a fairer world"
Countries at the Rio + 20 summit must work together on a "people-based"
approach to social, economic and environmental sustainability on both the
international and local level, UN Secretar y-General Ban Ki-moon, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark told a highlevel forum at the Rio conference today.
Ankara, July 2012
Countries at the Rio + 20 summit must work together on a "people-based" approach to social, economic and
environmental sustainability on both the international and local level, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark told a high-level forum at the Rio
conference today.
"Rio is about thinking globally, but acting locally," the Secretary-General stressed in his opening address. "When
leaders do not act locally, nothing can be done."
"At heart, Rio is about putting people first," he added.
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, in the keynote speech at the forum, said: "The human development approach can
guide policy makers to focus on what matters most - better lives for people."
Today's forum - "From Rio to 2015 and Beyond: Charting a Course for a Fairer World" - was convened by the
government of Turkey and moderated by Cevdet Yilmaz, Turkey's Minister of Development, and Khalid Malik,
Director of UNDP, Human Development Report Office. The dialogue also featured remarks by Prime Minister Jigme
Thinley of Bhutan, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan of Turkey, and Janos Pasztor, Executive Secretary of the
Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Global Sustainability.
Prime Minster Erdogan emphasized the risks posed by rising inequality in the world. "Societies which spend and
consume without any limit are obviously very attractive to others, but if some people are getting richer and some
people are getting poorer, this is not a model for sustainable growth," he said.
Speakers took as their common point of departure the "Istanbul Declaration" - Towards an Equitable and Sustainable
Future for All - that was adopted at the 2012 Global Human Development Forum in Turkey in March. The Istanbul
Declaration stressed the importance of a Rio +20 outcome based on "a globally adopted vision that combines
equitable growth with environmental sustainability, rooted in universal values and global social justice." The
Declaration emphasized further that the post-2015 development goals now under discussion in Rio must be relevant
to all nations and based on measurable indicators.
"UNDP argues that development is about far more than growth in GDP per capita, and that it must lead to tangible
and positive changes in people's lives," Clark said.
Prime Minister Thinley of Bhutan, which has pioneered its own happiness-based assessment of progress, also urged
the adoption of broad-based measures of development .
"Gross national happiness is more important than GDP, and is needed to integrate sustainability and equity in the
post-2015 agenda, " Thinley said. "Happiness must be the pure goal of development, so why do we trivialize it?
Because we trivialize happiness and the purpose of life, and therefore pursue the wrong things."
The speakers today addressed key questions confronting the delegates in Rio:
What are the polices that will reduce inequality while promoting other aspects of sustainable human development?
What are the barriers preventing progress? How can we galvanize global support for needed reforms that will benefit
people in all countries and communities?
"Sustainable development is not only prosperity in one's own country, but global prosperity," Erdogan commented.
"Last year's global Human Development Report issued a stark warning that unless both greater equity and
environmental sustainability are prioritized, human development progress will slow, and some regions may witness a
reversal in human development, " Clark noted in her keynote speech. "But sustainability, equity, and empowerment
are central not only to the human development paradigm; they are central to advancing sustainable development,
and they must help shape discussion on the post-2015 development agenda."
Corporate sustainability
commitments in Rio
Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum clearly demonstrated
that the private sector is ready to take the lead for sustainable
development, for the sake of the sustainability of their
businesses, too.
Ankara, July 2012
The participants presented their initiatives and expressed the willingness
to see Governments take action to support responsible business practices
towards a green economy.
The Outcome Document contains numerous specific policy
recommendations for Governments on priority issues, including energy,
climate, water, agriculture, social development, urbanization and finance.
Highlights
• Approximately 200 commitments to action were announced during the
Forum.
• A social enterprise investment framework was launched.
• A global Water Action Hub was announced.
• A new platform to advance transparency and disclosure on gender
equality issues in business was launched by the Women's Empowerment
Principles were launched.
• A commitment was made by five stock exchanges, including Istanbul
Stock Exchange (IMKB), to promote sustainable investment – a first step
towards a larger global call by stock exchanges for sustainability
disclosure and performance by listed companies.
• The Declaration for Higher Education Institutions was released and
endorsed by over 260 major business schools and universities around the
world. Istanbul Bilgi University was in the working group for developing
the declaration.
• Turkish Global Compact Network organized a side-event on “Sustaining
Life on Earth: Innovative Public-Private Partnerships to Combat Ecosystem
Services Loss”. The panelists were from TUSIAD, ARGE consulting, AFD,
Celik Enerji, Coca-Cola Icecek, European Parliament, Anadolu Efes, GC
Uganda, Bornova Municipality and Ford Otosan.
• It was a SmartPaper conference. No paper was used during the Forum.
Thermo mugs were distributed to use instead of paper/plastic cups to fill
with coffee or tea.
• The Forum was the first ever UN event to be labelled WindMade meaning that the event was exclusively powered by wind energy.
Turkey's sustainable
development report: Claiming
the future
Turkey has prepared a repor t entitled “ Turkey ’s Sustainable
Development Repor t: Claiming the Future” within the context
of national preparations for Rio+20 Conference with a
par ticipator y and transparent process.
Ankara, July 2012
During the preparation process of the report, particularly Turkey’s
experience on sustainable development during recent years is examined
with the help of indicators.
The reforms realized in the last decade primarily in economics as well as in
environment, education, health, energy and local governments, and
advancements on institutional structure in public administration are
assessed from a sustainable development perspective.
All these changes and developments are complemented with a study in
which “best practices” about sustainable development in Turkey are
identified.
24 practices out of 181 applications are identified as country’s “best
practice examples” through an independent evaluation process and are
shared with the global community in the report.
The aim of this report is to assess the actions which Turkey has realized
during its sustainable development process, to reveal the policies which
Turkey will apply in the future, to determine its national “vision” and to
evaluate the possible contribution of Turkey to solve global problems.
In addition, the report intends to determine Turkey’s opportunities and
threats about implementing green growth as an instrument for
sustainable development, and to discuss the fields which green growth
may contribute to the creation of integrated policies for economy, society
and environment.
Küre Mountains National Park at the Rio+20
conference
Setting an example as one of the 25 best practice examples of Turkey, The Küre
Mountains National Park activities were promoted to thousands of par ticipants of
the UN Sustainable Development Conference in the Brasilian city of Rio de Janeiro
(Rio +20) by way of speeches, posters, brochures and shor t films.
Ankara, July 2012
The ‘’Enhancing Forest Protected Areas Management System’’ Project that is supported by the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) in Küre Mountains National Park and the buffer zone around it has become a model implementation for
protecting the environment, supporting sustainable development and green growth through tourism.
This project was promoted at the Rio+20 Conference at the Turkey stand, and a poster explaining the Küre Mountains
National Park, a brochure from the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs explaining best practices, a Küre Mountains
National Park brochure and a short film with English subtitles were all shared with participants and visitors.
The Assistant Project Manager Yıldıray Lise shared his experiences at the ‘’Turkey’s Best Practice Meeting’’ organised
by the Ministry of Development and UNDP Turkey, and the ‘’Natural Solutions: Protected Areas in Solving Global
Environmental Problems Panel’’ organised by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and LiveWed
Initiative.
In a panel attended by representatives of Ministries and civil society organisations in Brazil, Costa Rica, Iran and
Colombia, and international environmental protection and development organisations like IUCN, Conservation
International, UNDP, Biological Diversity Secretariat, MEDPAN and their high level executives from outside of Turkey,
the Küre Mountains National Park project was chosen as one of the top 9 examples of the world.
World centre for sustainable
development launched by Brazil
and UNDP
As a major and concrete legacy of the Rio+20 Conference, the
Brazilian Government announced the creation of Rio+ Centre,
the World Centre for Sustainable Development
Development..
Ankara, July 2012
The Rio+ Centre will facilitate research, knowledge exchange and
promote international debate about sustainable development.
It will bring together a broad international consortium of partners,
consisting of government agencies, United Nations agencies, local
governments (including the state government and municipality of Rio de
Janeiro), NGOs, universities, think-tanks and the private sector.
The objective behind the creation of the Rio+ Centre is to build on new
and innovative mechanisms for engaging the participation of local
governments, civil society, business and academia in knowledge
exchange and discussions around the subject.
From the outset, the Rio+ Centre will provide continuity to the discussions
launched by the Rio Dialogues for Sustainable Development.
The new centre will build on the successful existing partnership between
the Government of Brazil and UNDP: the International Policy Centre for
Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), established in 2004, in Brasilia.
The establishment of the Rio+ Centre initially received support from
many institutions.
Business and development
awards announced at Rio+20
Eleven companies received the 2012 World Business and
Development Awards ( WBDA) for their effor ts to improve living
standards in some of the world’s most disadvantaged
communities.
Ankara, July 2012
Winners were recognized at a ceremony concluding the Business Action
for Sustainable Development Business Day taking place during the UN
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), where world leaders
along with thousands of participants from governments, the private
sector, NGOs and other groups, have convened.
The Awards recognize innovative business models that deliver both
commercial success and help improve social, economic or environmental
conditions—otherwise known as inclusive business models—with
winning companies engaged in diverse initiatives such as providing
affordable clean energy to low-income communities in Kenya and
boosting reforestation in India to providing micro-credit in Brazil.
The 11 winners of the 2012 World Business and Development
Awards
Small and Medium-sized Enterprise 2012 Categor y :
Bright Generation Community Foundation: Ghana Bamboo Bikes
Initiative, Ghana
Dream Light Solid Waste Cleaning and Recycling, Ethiopia
Eight19: IndiGo, United Kingdom
Sproxil®, Mobile Product Authentication™, United States
ToughStuff, Kenya
Large Organization 2012 Categor y :
Blue Skies: Joint Effort Enterprise, United Kingdom
Grundfos LIFELINKTM, Denmark
ITC: Social and Farm Forestry Programmes, India
Nestlé: The Nescafe Plan: Nestlé’s Visionary Coffee Development, China
Unilever, United Kingdom
Winner of the special Brazil-based company categor y in
honour of the Rio+20 host countr y :
Itaú Unibanco S.A, Itaú Microcredit, Brazil
UNDP proposes human development
measure of sustainability
In a high-level forum at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented the conceptual
groundwork for a future “Sustainable Human Development Index,” which would
recognize the cost of human development to future generations.
Ankara, July 2012
The UNDP forum was prompted by the call made by many in Rio for a UN-led examination of alternatives to purely
economic measurements of national and global progress, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, who moderated
today’s panel discussion.
The sustainability measurement project by UNDP’s Human Development Report Office represents a continuation of
its work over two decades, beginning with its Human Development Index (HDI), a composite measure of health,
education and income that has become a widely accepted alternative to GDP for assessing countries’ progress.
Earlier this year, in its report Resilient People, Resilient Planet, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s High-Level Global
Sustainability Panel concluded that “the international community should measure development beyond GDP and
develop a new sustainable development index or set of indicators.”
Concerns about sustainable human development have been emphasized consistently in UNDP’s Human
Development Reports over the past two decades.
The HDI’s originators - the late Pakistani economist Mahbub ul-Haq and his collaborator Amartya Sen, the Nobel
laureate economist of India - devised the index as a readily comprehensible people-based assessment of progress
that puts health and education on par with economic growth.
Since 1990, the UNDP Human Development Report’s annual HDI rankings have been widely followed by
governments, media, civil society and development experts around the world.
The HDI has also been adopted for planning purposes on the national and local level in many countries, including
India, Mexico, Morocco, and the Philippines.
The pulse of Turkey has been
checked by the Climate Change
Awareness Survey
66% of the population is concerned about climate change
problem. According to research, the public is ready to act and
change their lifestyle in order to reduce the effects of climate
change.
Ankara, July 2012
‘Nationwide Awareness Survey on Climate Change in Turkey’ has been
conducted within the context of “Enabling Activities for the Preparation of
Turkey’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC” Project that is
funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF), executed by the Ministry
of Environment and Urbanization (MoEU) and implemented by the United
Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The survey aimed at investigating awareness level of the population on
climate change, mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gases,
adaptation measures, and willingness to pay. The survey has been
conducted according to face-to-face interview techniques in 17 provinces
and 25 water basins, including urban and rural residential areas on the
target group between 15 and 69 years old.
Outstanding results of the Climate Change Awareness Level Survey are as
follows: In general climate change is perceived as a change in seasons
with 39.5% of participants having this as a first response, followed by
drought/lack of water and disturbances in weather conditions. 12.9% of
interviewees do not have any idea about climate change. As education
level decreases, the rate of people having no knowledge of climate
change increases. According to the survey, there is a segment of 6.0% who
associate climate change with global warming. 12.5% have knowledge
about the causes of climate change, while 11.1% have knowledge about
adaptation to climate change, 10.7% have knowledge about mitigation
and 10.5% have knowledge about impacts that climate change has on our
lives.
66% of the interviewees are quite concerned about the climate change
issue. 34.6% of interviewees think that climate change is a serious
problem and immediate action must be taken. 34.3% of interviewees
believe that there is enough evidence to prove climate change and taking
actions would be beneficial.
Although 66% of particiants are very concerned about the climate
change, only 32% pay attention to eco-labeling while buying products.
That implies that, although the general awareness on climate change is
high, the level of taking action is low. 30.8% of public does not pay any
attention on eco-labeling. Energy saving is considered to be the most
efficient practice and it is the most common mitigation measure used by
the interviewees. Energy saving is followed by water saving and keeping
the environment clean.
34.1% of interviewees think that they will have to change their lifestyle in
the future to mitigate climate change; 22.9% believe that new mitigation
technologies will emerge in the future.
33.2% of the interviewees indicated that they would pay more if they
know that a product is produced with environmentally friendly methods.
The average added value for a product that is worth 100 TL is an
additional 4 TL among the whole target group.
Climate change is degrading
marine habitats
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released
a new publication on the risks from climate change on Large
Marine Ecosystems (LMEs).
Ankara, July 2012
The volume entitled, “Frontline Observations on Climate Change and the
Sustainability of Large Marine Ecosystems” finds that climate change is
threatening the livelihoods of billions of people, who are dependent on
the $12 trillion generated annually from the LMEs.
The report finds that warming ocean waters are causing major shifts in
fish distribution and severe degradation of coastal habitats.
• In West Africa, large populations of sardines are moving away from
traditional fishing grounds. This represents a major loss in protein supplies
for the region.
• In northwest Africa, stocks of sardines and mackerel in the Canary
Current LME are moving from traditional fishing areas in Senegal
northward towards cooler waters off the coast of Mauritania.
• In southwest Africa, sardines and mackerel populations are moving
southward from Namibia, towards the cooler waters of the Benguela
Current LME and onto the Agulhas banks area of South Africa.
• In Asia, the increased intensity of monsoon rains in the Bay of Bengal
LME is lowering the salinity of surface waters. Lower salinity is inhibiting
nutrient replenishment of surface waters, thereby lowering natural
productivity, and fish populations. As a result, food security for millions of
people in coastal communities is at risk.
The publication was released as input to Oceans Day, June 16, and the
Oceans Development Dialogue, June 19, at the UN conference on
Sustainable Development “Rio+20” in Rio de Janeiro.
Other contributors to the report include the Global Environment Facility
(GEF), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
UNDP contributes two articles to
Economics and Society
magazine
The head of UNDP Helen Clark and Resident Representative in
Turkey Shahid Najam have contributed ar ticles to the June
issue of Economics and Society Magazine.
Ankara, July 2012
Helen Clark contributed an article with the title “ Putting Resilience at the
Heart of Development’’ to the magazine, whose theme this month was
“The Development Problem after the Global Crisis’’.
UNDP Resident Representative Shahid Najam wrote an article about the
Human Development issue, entitled ‘’Sustainability and Equality: A Better
Future For All’’.
New regulations for more
efficient appliances are now in
force
The new version energy labelling communiqués transposing
corresponding EU Delegated Acts prepared under EE
Appliances Project were published by the Ministr y of Science,
Industr y and Technology (MoSIT ) in the Turkish Official Gazette
on 22 June.
Ankara, July 2012
The move is a part of support for the Ministry of Science, Industry and
Technology for acceleration of applicable EU regulations requiring
the strengthening of energy labelling and eco-design legislation to which
the household appliances prioritized by EE Appliances Project are subject.
New communiqués introduced energy classes A+, A++ and A+++ in
addition to the class A which was formerly the most efficient class under
the previous regulations, and the legal framework has been developed to
allow placing on the market of more energy efficient appliances in Turkey.
Furthermore, the communiqué on energy labelling of air conditioners
which is under preparation by EE Appliances Project and to be delivered
to the MoSIT will also be published by the MoSIT in a short time, hence
the entire legal framework for the EE Appliances prioritized product
groups will be completed.
Again, the communiqués on eco-design requirements prepared under EE
Appliances Project and published by the MoSIT will require placing on the
market of more energy efficient appliances only.
For example, only class A+ or more refrigerators and deep freezers may be
placed on the market as from 1 July 2012.
'For my country: Barrier free life'
In the sixth year of its “For my Countr y ” Project which began in
2006, Koç Holding is working with UNDP to bring to life the
“For My Countr y : Barrier Free Life” Project.
Ankara, July 2012
The Project will be concentrating on disability between the years 20122013. Three central approaches have been announced for the “For My
Country: Barrier Free Life” Project.
The first is “Education for the Correct Approach to Disability”.
This education aims to support the spread of information on disability and
accessibility.
Koç Holding is aiming to educate at least 70 percent of its workforce in
this way.
They will be providing this education in collaboration with the Alternative
Life Association.
The second step of the project is to make all of the Koç Holding
companies “Disability Friendly Workplaces”.
Koç Holding is aiming to complete all the neccessary improvements
within two years.
Koç Group is also working towards developing “Disability Friendly''
products and services in all of its branches and companies as the third
step of this project.
About the For My Country Project
• 387 local projects aiming for local development were carried out
between 2005-2006 and 2006-2007.
• Between 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, there were 1,084,000 saplings
planted in seven For My Country Forests which are all around the
country, and 18,000 children were educated about the environment.
• Between 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, a campaign was carried out to
increase awareness of blood donation, which educated 103,000 people
and gained 83,579 units of donated blood.
'Golden Compasses' met their owners
Turkey Public Relations Association ( TÜHİD) will be presenting its 11th Golden
Compass Public Relations Awards to the winning projects and organisations on
26th of June in Istanbul.
Ankara, July 2012
For the first time this year, the Golden Compass awards will also be presenting a UNDP Special Award, and has
awarded two projects with an award for sustainability.
The UNDP Special award was won by the projects ‘’Koç Holding: For My Country’’ and ''Turkcell Global Information
Erzurum’’.
Coca-Cola Turkey won the Golden Compass Grand Prize for its project ‘’Life Plus Youth Programme’’.
The Chairman of the Board of TÜHİD Fügen Toksü has said in a speech that the UNDP Special Award has allowed the
Golden Compass awards to encompass the international field and sustainability, as well as giving awards to those
that have given back to the community both in economic and social aspects.
UNDP Resident Coordinator Shahid Najam has said that he wanted to give the UNDP Special Prize to those private
sector organizations that have come up with strategic solutions and advanced technology for the problems they
have indentified, and to reward their work in this field.
The 11th Golden Compass Public Relations Awards has 16 categories and 12 sub categories, with a total of 193
applicant projects and 31 winning projects.
Winning Organizations and Projects
UNDP Special Award
For My Country Project
Koç Holding
Turkcell Global Information Call Centre: Economic Impact Assessment Project
Turkcell
Grand Prize
‘’Life Plus’’ Youth Programme, Coca-Cola Turkey
Caretta Communications / Lıfe Foundation
Civil Society Organizations
Social Inclusion Band
Alternative Life Association
For more information visit:
www.altinpusula.org
Capacity building project for work and
profession consultants started
İŞKUR ( Turkish Employment Agency) has begun a project in order to give
Occupational Counselling to individuals, with the aim of targeting Turkey ’s main
problem of unemployment in a new and more efficient manner.
Ankara, July 2012
More than 2,000 Occupational Counsellors will begin working in İŞKUR rural organisations from June 2012. Within the
framework of “Growth in Decent Work for All: National Youth Employment Program and Pilot Implementation in
Antalya” Project, United Nations Joint Programme started a training programme for 53 vocational counsellors who
have just started working and those who are already working in İŞKUR Antalya Provincial Directorate, with a capacity
building programme organized between 18th of June and 10th of July in Antalya.
Unemployed workers who are registered to İŞKUR will recieve one on one vocational counselling support from the
Vocational Counsellors, and this will be a part of the new era of the fight against unemployment.
These counsellors are taking on a critical role of removing the inequality between the supply and the demand for
labour.
The training that is provided by UN Joint Programme that will begin on the 18th of June 2012 is given technical
support from the expertise of various UN organisations, and covers these areas:
• Effective Access, Twinning and Jobseeking Services within Vocational Counselling
• FAO Administrated Projects in Antalya Concerning Rural Development and Employment and International Best
Practices
• Sector Specific Growth and Economic Development
• Basic Life Skills for Immigrant Youth, and Tailored Services for Genders and Disadvantaged Groups
• Analysing Statistical Data
• Informing Organisations in Antalya Seminar
The UN Joint Programme that İŞKUR has undertaken the national implementation of is working with various
organisations of the UN, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Labour Organisation
(ILO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The UN Joint Programme aims for the reduction of youth unemployment, and specifically increasing the
participation of young women in the labour force.
The UN Joint Programme has been carrying out various programmes in Antalya since 2009 concerned with
increasing the number of young unemployed people finding decent work.
Turkey's first biosphere reserve is
getting ready for the future
The ‘’Camili Biosphere Reser ve Board Meeting’’ took place in
Borçka district of Ar tvin in June.
Ankara, July 2012
The meeting was concerning the ‘’Enhancing Forest Protected Areas
Management System’’ and how to spread the experiences that have been
gained from this project to other places.
Turkey’s first and only biosphere reserve Camili Basin is one of Turkey’s
nine forest hotspots.
The Camili Biosphere Reserve, which comes under a project supported by
the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in the Küre Mountains National Park
has become the most important place in Turkey for ecotourism thanks to
the work it has done over the last ten years.
Borçka District Governership, General Directorate of Nature Conservation
and National Parks, the General Directorate of Forestry Centre and local
management agencies and experts joined the meeting, as well as the
management unit of the ‘’Enhancing Forest Protected Areas Management
System’’, a representative of the Camili Villages Union and the governors
of the Camili Basin, bringing the total to 32 participants.
The meeting discussed how to create a plan for the successful
management of the Camili Biosphere Reserve using the Küre Mountains
National Park as an example.
The strengths and weaknesses of the Camili Biosphere and the plans for
the forthcoming micro-basin were set out.
After the meeting, villages were visited and the area was surveyed as part
of the plan for the area.
As a result of the meeting, it was decided that a Camili Biosphere Reserve
Board must be establised, the present draft management plan will be
used as a base for the planning and updating of the micro-basin, and that
there must be meetings more often in order to more successfully carry
out these plans.
What is a biosphere reser ve?
A biosphere is what we call the place in which living beings can survive.
Land or coastal ecosystems which come under UNESCO’s Man and
Biosphere (MaB) Programme are known as Biosphere Reserves.
In these biosphere reserves, biological diversity is protected, and the
conflicts between economic development and cultural values are being
solved through sustainable methods and projects.
Küre Mountains National Park
Model Implementation
Programme completed with
success
The ‘’Model Implementations Program’’ that aimed to show a
successful example in Küre Mountains National Park and the
surrounding buffer zone has been completed.
Ankara, July 2012
The Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs General Directorate of Nature
Conservation and National Parks, General Directorate of Forestry, United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Turkey World Wildlife
Fund (WWF Turkey) worked together with the support of the Global
Environmental Facility (GEF) to support five local projects in the area
within the context of the ‘’Enhancing Forest Protected Areas Management
System’’ Project.
Projects, and charities that carry out these projects in the cities of Bartın
and Kastamonu are as follows:
• Improving the Marketing of Agricultural Products Project / Ulus District
Aşağıçerçi Village Improvement-Beautification Project to Sustain Common
Property Association (AÇDER)
• Support For Linen Embroiderers Project / Bartın and Ulus Inhabitants
Culture Solidarity and Support Association
• Protecting Agricultural Production Areas with Electric Fences Project
/Bartın and Ulus Inhabitants Culture Solidarity and Support Association
• Supporting Development of Guesthouses for Ecotourism Project /
DrahnaDer
• Protection of Traditional Cultures and Appreciation of Women’s Work
Project / Küre Mountains Ecotourism Association
Aşağıçerçi Association (AÇDER) will carry out a project: products that are
produced in the gardens of villages in the districts of Ulus and Abdipaşa
will be encouraged to reach the marketplace in a more competitive
position, and sales stands for the sale of these items for the local women
have been set up.
20 stands that have been set up within this project are being used in
marketplaces.
The project of DrahneDer called ‘’Supporting Development of
Guesthouses’’ in the Bartın villages within the Küre Mountains National
Park buffer zone aims to support the work of ecotourism and
guesthouses, and the construction of an infrastructure for guesthouses.
15 places have been identified as places within the project that are
appropriate for guesthouses, that have taken part in previous educations
and recieved some credentials and that are open to setting up a
guesthouse.
The people identified for these projects visited other model guesthouses
in the areas of Balıkesir Kazdağları National Park and Zonguldak Devrek.
The guesthouses within the Project and in the area of the Küre Mountians
National Park were promoted at the East Mediterranean International
Tourism and Travel Fair (EMITT).
Using resources provided by the Project, ‘’Küre Mountains National Park
Guest Rooms’’ have been set up in 15 different houses.
A linen embroidery consolidation was set up within the ‘’Support For
Linen Embroiderers’’ Project that was created by Bartın and Ulus
Inhabitants Association.
Linen is native to Bartin so it benefits from both its seeds and its stems.
A machine was made to produce fibre from the linen stems which was
previously done by hand, and a consolidation was set up to ensure that all
the villagers could use this cooperatively.
When linen harvesting is completed, the linen embroidery consolidation
will begin work in September-October time.
The ‘’Protecting Agricultural Production Areas with Electric Fences
Project’’ realised by the Bartın and Ulus Inhabitants Association has been
put into action to protect agricultural areas from damage by wild animals.
6 farms have been fitted with electrocuting fences to serve as en example
for other farms and these have been aimed at protecting farmland from
wild animals, for example wild bears or wild pigs.
Küre Mountains Ecotourism Association has carried out its ‘’Protection of
Traditional Cultures and Appreciation of Women’s Work’’ Project in the
districts of Pınarbaşı and Azdavay in Kastamonu, this was aimed at
protecting the values of local women’s traditional clothing that is still
worn every day, and to appreciate the value or their handiwork in order
for it to have the potential to be another source of income.
The project worked with the district governerships, councils and
directorate of education of Pınarbaşı and Azdavay to give training to 35
local women and issue them with certificates.
At the end of this training, the participants were able to produce 40
different types of souvenirs for them to be able to promote and sell in the
Küre Mountains National Park Visitors And Promotional Centre, and in the
districts of Azdavay and Pınarbaşı.
Climate Change: Monitoring, reporting and
verification
The Meeting on “Monitoring, Repor ting and Verification (MRV )” within the scope
of Enabling Activities for the Preparation of Turkey ’s Second National
Communication Project was held in UNDP İstanbul International Center for Private
Sector in Development (IICPSD) in June, with the par ticipation of exper ts from the
relevant sectors.
Ankara, July 2012
The objective of the meeting was to inform the invitees on MRV discussions in climate negations; current and new
reporting requirements after Durban; MRV of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU): EU legislation,
implementation and updates; National Greenhouse Gases inventory system in Turkey; and progress on MRV system
in Turkey.
Additionally, information on “Regulation on Monitoring of Greenhouse Gases” that was prepared by the Ministry of
Environment and Urbanism (MoEU) and published on Official Gazette date 25th April 2012 and numbered 28274 was
provided to the invitee.
During the morning session of the meeting, Ms. Daniela Carrington from UNDP Bratislava Regional Center made a
presentation regarding the international process and climate negations.
It was followed by a presentation of Mr. Delano R. Verwey from the European Commission. He explained EU
Legislations and implementations in his presentation.
Dr. Ali Can from TURKSTAT and Evren Türkmenoğlu from MoEU provided information on national efforts.
Following the presentations, a panel was held to discuss and assess an MRV system for Turkey and a roadmap in the
light of international progress.
To conclude, it has been decided that an effective national MRV system which has well defined authority and
responsibility and providing its sustainability should be established in Turkey.
In this process, it is has been emphasized by the panelists that UNDP and European Union can provide support.
During the afternoon session, information about the regulation on “Monitoring of Greenhouse Gases” that was
published by the MoEU and will be carried into practice in 2015 was provided to attendees.
After the presentation of Mr. Mehrali Ecer, Division Head under Department of Climate Change MoEU, a panel
discussion was held with the participation of panelists from the private sector and NGOs.
During the panel, panelists expressed their views and recommendations on the implementation of the new
regulations and questions of the participants were answered.
The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanism and the United Nations Development
Programme.
A total of 117 representatives from relevant agencies participated in the meeting.
You can view the agenda of the meeting as well as presentations made during the meeting from here.
Enabling Activities Project for Turkey’s Second National Communication which will be submitted to the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change is being supported by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
The MCPA project supported the founding of
a fishermen's cooperative
A Fisher y Co-operative was founded in Muğla Selimiye with the suppor t and
encouragement of Strengthening the System of Marine and Coastal Protected
Areas of Turkey Project.
Ankara, July 2012
The cooperative has a remarkable importance due its foundation in the United Nation’s 2012 International Year of
Cooperatives.
The head of the cooperative Uğur Çetin mentioned that the fishermen in the region became more conscious with the
help of the Project and they decided to found the cooperative.
Selimiye Fishery Cooperative, which organized its first general assembly on 11 July 2012, united the fishermen
together in Selimiye Village in Marmaris district of Muğla city.
The head of the cooperative Mr. Uğur Çetin, underlined the importance of the fishermen becoming more conscious
with the support of the project for the foundation of the cooperative, which is important in terms of fisheries
management.
Mr. Çetin also mentioned that the meeting on the no-fishing areas in the region in last December and the fisheries
socio-economic study in Datça-Bozburun Special Environment Protection Area motivated the fishermen to found a
cooperative.
Mr. Çetin further explained that it is now possible to develop the commercial activities and to implement the fisheries
management with the cooperative.
The foundation of the cooperative also has an important role in terms of its timing as it is the UN’s 2012
International Year of Cooperatives.
* The head of the cooperative Uğur Çetin is seen in the photograph holding the fish and Vahdet Ünal is the
photographer.
Trekking and biking routes in
Çoruh Valley
Tourism Development in Eastern Anatolia Project ( TDEAP)* has
led the way in identification and mapping of the natural
trekking and biking routes in the Coruh Valley.
Ankara, July 2012
The work continues on the routes in the south of the Kaçkar Mountains
that surround the Çoruh Valley, in Mescit Mountains and Kargapazarı in
order to mark the routes and construct signboards.
Additionally, a booklet is being prepared for the routes that will be
mapped.
The project that is planned to be completed in September 2012 will be
announced at the “Çoruh Valley Trekking and Biking Routes” opening
event.
TDEAP project continues with its activities to develop village
accomodations and family guesthouses for trekkers along the routes.
Camping sites are suggested in areas where accommodation is not
available.
You may reach
at this address.
more
information
about
the
trekking
routes
This website is constantly updated as new information arrives about the
routes.
You can view more photos from Çoruh Valley Trekking at this link.
Additionally, announcements to social media groups and interest groups
continue.
The Coruh Valley Trekking Routes Group on Facebook, an online
gathering place for the local and national tour guides, tour operators and
trekkers, is open to all interested parties .
*TDEAP is jointly executed by United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), Ministry of Culture and Tourism and EFES Company since April
2007, it aims to contribute to the living standards of local people by
improving tourism activities in the Coruh Valley.
For more information:
www.datur.com
www.coruhvadisi.com
www.facebook.com/coruhvadisi
TatuTa Farms Gathering in Çoruh
Valley
The first regional gathering of TaTuTa Farms in 2012 took place
in Uzundere, Erzurum in early June, and has been hosted by
the TaTuTa farms which are located in Coruh Valley.
Ankara, July 2012
The name “TaTuTa “stands for “Tarım” - Agriculture, “Turizm” - Tourism and
“Takas” - Exchange and comes from the “Eco-Agro Tourism and Voluntary
Knowledge and Skills Exchange on Organic Farms” project of the Buğday
Association.
Within the Tourism Development in Eastern Anatolia Project (TDEAP)* the
establishment of family guesthouses and facilities like farms, greenhouses
that could benefit from tourism were supported.
The number of family guesthouses and farms that joined the network
within the last two years have reached nine.
The gathering which was hosted by the Erzurum TaTuTa members was
attended by farmers and family guesthouse owners who are TaTuTa
members from Samsun, Artvin, Şanlıurfa and Pasinler and Uzundere in
Erzurum.
Additionally, representatives from the Buğday Association, TDEAP and the
Northeastern Development Agency attended the gathering as well.
TaTuTa's updated website and the registration system was introduced at
the gathering.
Members later learned more about it and gave feedback for the the online
product exchange and sales systems, which are very important to them,
and whose base was prepared by the Buğday Assocation.
At the end of the gathering the Seed Exchange Network was discussed
and farmers were invited to join the network.
There will be two more TaTuTa gatherings in July and August, one in
Central Anatolia and the other in the Aegean region.
Click here for information about Accomodation in Coruh Valley.
Click here for information about the TaTuTa farms.
*TDEAP is jointly executed by United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), Ministry of Culture and Tourism and EFES Company since April
2007, it aims to contribute to the living standards of local people by
improving tourism activities in the Coruh Valley.
For more information:
www.datur.com
www.coruhvadisi.com
www.facebook.com/coruhvadisi
Trainings on Eu Eco-design and
energy labeling directives
Training of market inspectors of the Ministr y of Science,
Industr y and Technology (MoSIT ) on Implementation of EU
Eco-design and Energy Labeling Directives were completed
through the group trainings in June.
Ankara, July 2012
More than 300 market inspectors working at different Provincial Offices of
MoSIT attended the training.
It is of utmost importance for ensuring compliance of the market place
with applicable regulations to check whether the energy efficiency values
and energy classes declared on the products placed on the market are
true or not.
Therefore, these inspections carried out by the MoSIT must be carried out
by market inspectors who have sufficient training on implementation of
applicable regulations.
The trainings that were realized in the context of Market Transformation
of Energy Efficient Appliances Project meet an important requirement.
Market inspectors were trained by Tom Lock, an expert on Energy
Efficiency Policies.
The participants were not only informed about the implementation and
development of eco-design and energy labeling framework directives, but
also on market monitoring and surveillance implementations.
Through the trainings it was aimed to enhance the capacity and to
improve inspection infrastructure of market inspectors of MoSIT.
Training on management of market
surveillance programme given
Training of headquar ters personnel of the Ministr y of Science, Industr y and
Technology (MoSIT ) on Management of Market Sur veillance Programme took place
in June in Ankara.
Ankara, July 2012
The participants were informed on the issues such as management of Market Surveillance Programme, risk analysis,
focusing on risks, measuring the impact of market surveillance activities and inspection criteria.
The training was delivered by National Measurement Office (NMO) of the UK Market Surveillance Authority.
A new address on energy
efficiency in appliances:
www.evudp.net
A
new
web
site
on
energy
appliances www.evudp.net is now on-line.
efficiency
in
Ankara, July 2012
The web site has been prepared in the context of Market Transformation
of Energy Efficient Appliances in Turkey Project which is executed by
the General Directorate of Renewable Energy, affiliated to the Ministry of
Energy and Natural Resources and with United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), with the financial support of Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and with the participation of Ministry of Science, Industry
and Technology, Turkish White Goods Manufacturers (TURBESD) and
Arçelik A.Ş.
The web site gives information and news on issues such as energy
efficiency, energy labels, energy efficiency tips and raising awareness, in
addition to project information and news from project activities.
The objective of the project is to reduce the household electricity
consumption and the associated greenhouse gas emissions of Turkey by
accelerating the market transformation towards more energy efficient
household appliances.
'Without healthy soil, life is
unsustainable'
The Ministr y of Forestr y and Water Affairs has organized a
meeting in Ankara together with the Turkish International
Cooperation and Development Agency ( TIKA), UN Convention
on Deser tification (UNCCD) Secretariat and other par tners to
mark the World Day to Combat Deser tification.
Ankara, July 2012
The Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, TIKA and UNCCD reiterated
their commitments on combating desertification during the meeting.
National and international representatives from ministries, governmental
institutions and various NGOs have participated in the meeting.
Dr. Katalin Zaim, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme
Manager of UNDP, forwarded the message of UN General Secretary Ban
Ki-Moon on the World Day to Combat Desertification.
In his message, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said; “Global efforts to halt
and reverse land degradation are integral to creating the future we want.
Sustainable land use is a prerequisite for lifting billions from poverty,
enabling food and nutrition security, and safeguarding water supplies. It is
a cornerstone of sustainable development.”
The upcoming sustainable development conference, to be held between
the 20th and 22nd of June in Rio de Janeiro, follows on from the Earth
Summit held in the same city in 1992, during which desertification, along
with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the
greatest challenges to sustainable development.
“The World Day to Combat Desertification falls this year on the eve of the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Rio+20 is our
opportunity to showcase the many smart and effective land management
systems and options that exist or are in the pipeline. Twenty years on from
the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification,
let us ensure that a commitment to sustainable land management
features prominently in the official outcome at Rio and in the wider
mobilization for sustainability that will also be part of Rio’s legacy. Without
healthy soil, life on Earth is unsustainable”, Ban Ki-moon said.
Please click here for the message of UN Secretary General.
PODCAST 46
30 April 2012
One Day on Earth
Brandon Litman, One Day on
Earth, Executive Producer
play
This week we will talk about “One Day on Ear th” motion picture, a
film comprised of videos that thousands of people recorded in
ever y corner of the world and sent in one day on 10.10.10.
UNDP Turkey : Hello, this is the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations
Development Programme Turkey. This week we will talk about the One Day
on Earth Project. Towards the end of April, the “One Day on Earth” film,
comprised of videos that thousands of people recorded and sent in one day
on 10.10.10, was screened in Istanbul simultaneously with the rest of the
world. The global screening took place with the support of UNDP and other
international organizations.
The “One Day on Earth” Project started off in 2008 with the aim of creating a
time capsule of videos recorded in one day from all round the world. But
didn’t such a challenging task also carry great risks? Brandon Litman, one of
the film’s producers says the following in an interview via Skype to NTV:
Brandon Litman (B.L.): Well, we knew that what we were doing was a first.
So we tried to work as hard as possible to come up with as many stories as
we could. Actually we didn’t know what to expect. But we did our best and
we are very happy with the result. I think this movie will get many people to
think.
UNDP Turkey : First on October 10, 2010 (10.10.10) and then on November
11, 2011 (11.11.11) people were invited to share the videos they took on
onedayonearth.org. Later on this became a video map, which is open to
everybody, of moments people from every corner of the world shared in one
day.
B.L.: We had more than 3000 hours of footage and each moment was filled
with stories. We can give you some very interesting figures. We translated
more than 240 hours of footage from more than 70 languages.
UNDP Turkey : One Day on Earth’s partners include United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), UN Women, UNAIDS, World Health Organization (WHO),
CERN, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Red Cross Red Crescent
(ICRC & IFRC), World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Water.org, World Bank, Human
Rights Watch, US FUND for UNICEF and 350.org.
The film One Day on Earth was created from more than 3000 hours of
footage received on 10.10.10. Back to Brandon Litman.
B.L.: At first we had to watch many of them and tried to understand what
the world was telling us. I mean we also found out about things during this
process. We wanted to reflect both sadness and happiness. So this movie
starts with the earth and ends with the earth. We showed joyful themes like
weddings and children but we also wanted to insert videos regarding
environmental sustainability, water shortage and economic struggles.
UNDP Turkey : The film tells the story of the world on 10.10.10 with all its
tragedies and achievements while reflecting its striking diversity. In line with
the projects objective, the film aims to bring people closer to one another as
it combines their similarities and differences. By enabling people to continue
cooperating in the future, the project is aiming to create a community
fostered through communication. What was Turkey’s contribution to this
film?
B.L.: Turkey’s contribution increased throughout the years. I remember some
very striking videos from Turkey in 2010. Of course I don’t know exactly the
names of those regions but we did receive videos from Turkey. In 2011, we
received more videos. We hope to gather more participants from Turkey after
the screening this Sunday. We hope to repeat this every year and to come up
with a new film each year. We want all countries to be represented.
UNDP Turkey : From youngsters, who sent videos they recorded though
their cell phones, to professional documentarians, men and women of all
ages, countries, races and cultures, as well as over 60 NGOs, contributed to
the film.
B.L.: We have some videos of breathtaking scenes. Natural landscapes from
Europe and Eastern Europe, elephants from Africa, kangaroos from Australia
and whales from off the coast of Canada. We also have some other very
interesting footage.
UNDP Turkey : Some memorable scenes include a high-profile military
parade in North Korea, views of Mecca and the Galapagos Islands, a scuba
dive in the Red Sea and the 10th birthday party for a Dutch boy with a rare
genetic disease given a life expectancy of ten years. So let’s hear how
producer Brandon Litman spent 10.10.10.
B.L.: I had a very interesting experience the day we shot this movie. I was in
New York and I spent a day listening to the stories of illegal immigrants. So
that’s what I was doing on 10.10.10. It was a very enlightening day for me.
There is one thing you see in this movie and that is the circle of life. All the
people in this film are trying to make the world a better place, at least for
themselves. And as a global international community, we want to do our
best.
UNDP Turkey : Will the project continue in the future? Don’t you think it will
be hard to find new themes for each movie?
B.L.: I think each year is different. In 2011 we received many videos relating
to the Arab Spring and other issues. So each year will have a different theme.
As our community grows our films will have more depth and diversity. Then
we will be able to produce truly global films. Perhaps the movies will feature
topics of more economic and environmental nature but they will also include
very special human stories.
UNDP Turkey : Whether it is a documentary or a film comprised of
thousands of different videos taken in a hundred different places, a film has
to have a theme. So what does One Day on Earth tell us?
B.L.: I think the theme is the flow of life. The flow of life in various locations.
We aimed to tie everything up this concept. We reduced the running time to
140 minutes. I told you before that we had 3000 hours of footage. You see
how beautiful the earth is. You places you have never seen in the movie. I
think we grew by 11.11.11 and included more serious stories regarding
certain issues such as gender equality and refugees. But 10.10.10, meaning
the 2010 movie, is our most important film because it was a first and also a
wonderful gift to our community.
UNDP Turkey : Directed by the project’s founder, Kyle Ruddick, and
produced by Brandon Litman and his team, “One Day on Earth”s global
screening was held this Earth Day, on April 22. The screening in Turkey took
place in Istanbul Bilgi University, Santral Campus at 2pm within the scope of
Youth and Earth Festival.
The track you are currently listening to was composed for One Day on Earth
film, shot with the support of UNDP, by DJ Cut Chemist who wrote the piece
using only natural sounds and reassembling them on a computer. For this
track and other details go to onedayonearth.org. You can find the various
videos UNDP Turkey recorded on 11.11.11 for this project featuring Turkey’s
different locations on our Vimeo account.
One Day on Earth was screened in every country on the same day with the
support of UNDP. You listened to parts of an interview with the film’s
producer, Brandon Litman’s with NTV. We have come to the end of this
episode of the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development
Programme Turkey. This program has been recorded at the studio of Radyo
İlef of Ankara University Communications Department. You can follow our
program on Açık Radyo (Open Radio) on FM frequency, on university radios
in our broadcasting network, on iTunes under podcasts and on undp.org.tr.
Our username for social media is undpturkiye. Hope to see you next week,
good-bye!
PODCAST 45
23 April 2012
Reducing poverty in South
East Anatolia
Burak Eldem, Diyarbakır Batman
Siirt Development Project
(DBSDP) Administrator
play
In this episode, we talk about a project which contributes to this
recover y. The project is implemented in Diyarbakır, Batman and
Siir t provinces.
UNDP Turkey : Hello, this is the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations
Development Programme Turkey. According to TurkStat data, when average
income in Turkey is used as a base, more than 30% of the poor live in the
Southeastern Anatolia Region. This figure had surpassed 33% in 2007. In this
episode, we will talk about a project that contributes to progress. This is a
development project, which is carried out in Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt
provinces. Our contributor is Burak Eldem, Administrator of DiyarbakırBatman-Siirt Development Project. Welcome, Mr. Eldem.
Burak Eldem (B.E.): I am honoured, thank you.
UNDP Turkey : This project in question is coming to an end. You launched it
in 2008 and you are aiming at finishing it at the end of 2012, aren’t you?
B.E.: Exactly.
UNDP Turkey : This Diyarbakır-Batman-Siirt Development Project, which
has started to yield results, is among a wide array of projects that contribute
to reducing poverty. Let’s talk a bit about the region, the general structure of
the region and the circumstances requiring implementation of such rural
development projects. We all know these but we would like to see them from
your point of view.
B.E.: Of course, with pleasure. As is known to all, the region has some income
and living conditions. However, these ways of deriving income cannot be
used efficiently. Therefore, this project is carried out to use factors of
production more efficiently and to help farmers produce higher income. Our
most important objective is to make farmers live on welfare by increasing
their levels of income and socio-economic development. The agriculture
sector in our country is of vital importance in terms of people’s healthy
eating, their employment, the contribution of agriculture to economy and its
export potential. The Southeastern Anatolia Region has this potential. As I
mentioned before, our farmers should use production resources in a more
efficient way in order to produce higher income.
UNDP Turkey : When we are talking about the region, we mean Diyarbakır,
Batman and Siirt provinces in this context. As you mentioned, resources in
the region are abundant and if the people make the best use of these
resources, the region would get prosperous. However, there are high levels of
poverty instead. Therefore, since the project is taking aim at reducing
poverty, we should talk a little bit on the methods to be used. Which
methods did you use in this project to reduce poverty? Under which
headings were your activities grouped?
B.E.: Frankly speaking, we needed to carry out some preliminary surveys to
keep the project on track. With the resources and feasibility studies, –
UNDP Turkey : You tried to come up with a picture reflecting the region.
B.E.: That’s right and consequently, some activities were carried out to use
the best techniques and these were grouped under some headings. All of
these were reflected in the main document of the project.
UNDP Turkey : This is a project aiming at reducing rural poverty. Therefore,
it is highly understandable why you concentrated on agriculture. Because if
we are talking about Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt provinces, agriculture is a
sector where poverty is concentrated. So you must have carried out some
activities such as introducing modern methods.
B.E.: Exactly. Introducing modern methods to farmers and using these
methods are very important in the region. And it takes time. Training is a
must. Therefore, this is an issue that we attach utmost importance.
Particularly, we should train women farmers and help them contribute to
production. Thus, we are expending great effort on this.
UNDP Turkey : We have already talked about concentrated poverty in the
region. When we look at lower layers of society there, unemployment rates
are very high among young people and women. Categories of
unemployment can change according to definition of unemployment.
However, we can say that disguised unemployment is highly seen. The fact
that this project aiming at reducing poverty particularly concentrates on
women is a point that should be emphasized, isn’t it?
B.E.: Yes, that is right.
UNDP Turkey : Now, let’s elaborate on the details of this project. There are a
lot of interesting points among the notes I took. I would like to highlight
some of them. You made a value chain analysis, let’s talk a little bit on this.
The analysis you mentioned before is closely related to that, I guess. It is an
analysis concerning planning of all stages of production. Then, you
developed a method based on the analysis and established a chain of
activities encompassing a wide range of activities from fruit growing to drip
irrigation. Let’s talk a bit about these activities. Which areas did you prioritize
in terms of agriculture?
B.E.: We carried out our activities in order to put new production techniques,
which were lacking or were being delayed before, into effect through Food,
Agriculture and Livestock Provincial Directorates. As a result, we started to
create archetypal gardens to demonstrate the farmers how they will make
their productions. With these gardens, we started to show them different
kinds of activities such as fence systems, drip irrigation, sapling planting, vine
training systems, etc.
UNDP Turkey : What does “vine training system” mean?
B.E.: Vine training system means setting up vineyards in a more modern way
and cultivate them according to international standards.
UNDP Turkey : So this system is more modern than conventional rod and
spur pruning system.
B.E.: More modern “T” shaped vines are installed higher off the ground so
production increases.
UNDP Turkey : Then it is better when the grapes don’t touch the ground.
B.E.: Exactly, and with this drip irrigation system, we both save water and
change the application techniques in the region. We try to make production
in nature compatible ways.
UNDP Turkey : In fact, when these provinces are in question, viniculture
isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Thus, if we are talking about your
project again, as far as I understand creating archetypal gardens is more
income-generating and enables you to grow crops dependent on climatic
conditions of the region and to show farmers how to grow them. Because
you told that this is a demonstrative project.
B.E.: That’s right. Here, the most important thing is to determine the
shortcomings in the region and to carry out activities in those fields. We will
get the most important output of this in the following years. Agricultural
engineers in Provincial Directorates of Food, Agriculture and Livestock carry
out these analyses.
UNDP Turkey : When we are talking about Diyarbakır, the first fruit that
comes to mind is watermelon, not grape. Except grape, which other crops do
you grow?
B.E.: We are also dealing with production of almonds, walnuts, apricots and
also Zivzik pomegranate. I wanted to lay stress on pomegranate –
UNDP Turkey : Cultivar.
B.E.: Yes, pomegranate cultivar. Cultivar “Zivzik” is an income-generating
crop.
UNDP Turkey : Pomegranate is a fruit, which is planted a lot in southeastern
and southern parts of Turkey. Pomegranate juice is mostly sent from those
regions. Thus, pomegranate cultivation should be supported. Now, let’s take
a look at the infrastructure pillar of the project. Since this is a project aimed at
development in rural areas, strengthening infrastructure is of vital
importance to eliminate poverty and to rehabilitate health systems.
Establishing water supply networks and sewage treatment system is also
important. Where did you concentrate your plans? In how many villages were
you able to implement your projects? Can you give us some figures?
B.E.: At the beginning of this project, particularly as infrastructure works,
sewage disposal systems were prominent. Hence, infrastructure works were
carried out to eliminate shortcomings in villages and to help people lead
healthier lives. After carrying out all these works, it was understood in 2010
that accessing drinking water was a real problem for villagers and drinking
water reservoirs were constructed. In 2011, an open-channel irrigation
system started being dug. It was also a significant tender. Previously, flood
irrigation system had been used but then that system was terminated and
we made it possible for farmers to access water by more modern ways. We
brought water to them.
UNDP Turkey : Flood irrigation and drip irrigation are the opposites of one
another.
B.E.: Drip irrigation system delivers water directly to the root zone of a plant
by means of irrigation canals.
UNDP Turkey : So this method saves water, then?
B.E.: Yes, drip irrigation helps you use water efficiently. It also makes easier to
irrigate vast areas.
UNDP Turkey : We come across the issue of sustainable development in
each and every stage of the project. Guiding the farmers as far as the
methods go and providing funds for those who use these methods are
among the targets of this project. In this sense, grants are an additional
output and you awarded grants to many people. Let’s talk a bit on this. How
many people have received these grants? And how much did you allocate for
these granting programs?
B.E.: So far, we have supported more than 180 personal and economic
investments. Here, we mean small investors by personal investments and
legal entities by economic investments. In 2010 and 2011 we awarded
660,000 TL and 370,000 TL to grant beneficiaries respectively and in 2012 we
are planning to award them 2 million 89,000 TL.
UNDP Turkey : So you have already granted these figures in 2010 and 2011.
B.E.: Yes.
UNDP Turkey : And you are planning to provide them with 2 million TL in
2012, aren’t you? Are these figures all in Turkish Liras? These are not small
amounts. After all, this project has a budget of 37 million dollars as far as I
know.
B.E.: That’s true. The project budget is about 37 million dollars. An amount of
24 million dollars of the total sum is funded by IFAD. The Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Livestock funds 4.4 million dollars as domestic funding and
UNDP funds 0.7 million dollars of it.
UNDP Turkey : Let’s open up what we mean by IFAD. IFAD stands for
International Fund for Agricultural Development. It is a specialized funding
agency of the United Nations that supports agricultural development. There
are funds directed to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock through
this agency. You also have connection with universities in the region. With
Dicle University, I guess. Dicle University is one of the most important
universities in the region. You have connections with that university and you
consult the university academics in each stage of the project.
B.E.: Yes, in some stages of tenders, we come to a deadlock. Therefore, we
receive help from universities to provide higher input and reflect it to our
tenders. This is a source of pride for us.
UNDP Turkey : A noteworthy source of pride. Your website is dbsdp.org is
your website. DBS part stands for Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt, while “d”
stands for development and “p” stands for project. Since there is still a lot to
talk about, our audience can access on this website more detailed
information. For instance, greenhouses will be built in the region and this is
not very common in Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt. You also support growing
ornamental plants, which is not again very common in the region.
Furthermore, you support solar-powered irrigation. Our audience will be able
to see them all and more on dbsdp.org. Thank you very much, Mr. Eldem,
Diyarbakır-Batman-Siirt Development Project Administrator, for your
contribution. We have come to the end of this episode of the New Horizons
Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey. This program
has been recorded at the studio of Radyo İlef of Ankara University
Communications Department. You can follow our program on Açık Radyo
(Open Radio) on FM frequency, on university radios in our broadcasting
network, on iTunes under podcasts and on undp.org.tr. Our username for
social media is undpturkiye. Hope to see you next week, good bye!
PODCAST 44
16 April 2012
Development in North East
Anatolia
Arif Mert Öztürk, Ardahan-KarsArtvin Development Project
(AKADP) Administrator
play
This week, we talk about three provinces of Turkey which are at
43rd, 67th and 74th ranks in Socio-economic Development Index
among Turkey ’s 81 provinces and a development project
implemented in these provinces. The project is implemented in
Kars and Ardahan provinces of East Anatolia, and in Ar tvin
province of the Black Sea region.
UNDP Turkey : Hello, this is the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations
Development Programme Turkey. In this episode, we will talk about a
development project carried out in three cities of Turkey, which are in 43rd,
67th and 74th position on the socio-economic development index, out of 81
cities. This project is carried out in Kars and Ardahan in East Anatolia and in
Artvin in the Black Sea. Our contributor today is Arif Mert Öztürk, director of
the Ardahan-Kars-Artvin Development Project. Welcome.
Arif Mer t Öztürk (A.Ö): Hello.
UNDP Turkey : As I mentioned, these cities came 43rd, 67th and 74th out of
81. These figures are from 2004-2005 but this is still enough to highlight the
problem. Let’s talk about the region. Artvin may be slightly different from the
other two as it is located in the Black Sea, but there are also many similarities.
Can we talk about the existing state of these three cities? What is the
situation in these cities?
A.Ö.: As you said, these three cities are in the category of the least
developed cities. Apart from this, the geography of the region is not suitable,
it is at high altitude and the winters are long and harsh. Naturally, this
restricts farming seasons. We are talking about a region in which the density
of the rural population is high, while sources of income and development are
limited.
UNDP Turkey : Because of inconvenient geographic conditions for farming,
they may be more inclined towards animal husbandry. From a socio-
economic point of view, this is where the unemployment rate is high, is not
it?
A.Ö.: Generally, more than half of the population of Ardahan and Kars live in
rural zones. And there, although they are considered farm labourers, they do
not have a regular income.
UNDP Turkey : The data shows that both total unemployment and female
unemployment rates are one of the highest in the zone. The rural population
density is also high. Let’s get back to the previous point: this region is where
there is a high level of animal husbandry and low population density at the
same time, is this true?
A.Ö.: Yes it is, and animal husbandry is the main source of income as you
mentioned. Ardahan is one of the smallest cities in Turkey, with a population
of 107,000. Yet, there are 256,000 cattle in the region. For a comparison, only
14/1000 of the whole population of Turkey live in Ardahan, while the rate is
2% for livestock.
UNDP Turkey : 2% of the cattle stock and a very low percentage of the total
population…
A.Ö.: And this shows how intensive the animal husbandry is in the region.
UNDP Turkey : Again, according to the data that we have found on your
website, Ardahan and Kars are in the fifth category of the least developed
cities, while Artvin is in the third category. So this gives us a general idea
about what we are dealing with here. Let us talk about the project itself. The
‘Ardahan-Kars-Artvin Development Project' is relatively new. When did it
start?
A.Ö.: The project began right after the plan was signed off on by The
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock in January of 2011. However, in
practice, we started after the officers in the Kars office were able to start
working, and this was after the summer of 2011.
UNDP Turkey : So actually the project dates back just a few months.
Therefore, talking about the goals of the project rather than its past might be
more appropriate. Of course, you are working with some partners. And The
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock is the essential one. UNDP is
providing implementation support to this project. Let us talk about the goals
of this project. What do you aim to change in this region?
A.Ö.: Mostly, it is aimed to create a sustainable source of income and models
for farmers. In terms of animal husbandry, as a main source of income for this
region, it is aimed at providing more modern and efficient techniques of
animal husbandry for obtaining sufficient levels of milk and meat for sale. On
the other hand, it is also aiming to invest in rural infrastructure. This could
mean better water supplies, sewage and water treatment investments.
UNDP Turkey : Let me note that you focus on two specific subjects. Animal
husbandry should be modernized and a lucrative model should be created,
this is your first goal. The second is to consolidate the rural infrastructure,
from drinking water to waste water. Let’s discuss in more detail the animal
husbandry projects. What kind of models do you propose for a society where
animal husbandry is the essential source of income?
A.Ö.: Now, a livestock market is about to be set up in Ardahan and this is one
of the most important projects of us in 2012. The first thing that comes to our
mind about livestock markets is the old traditional markets where we make
negotiations; but, we can consider this a buying and selling centre, kind of an
auction centre. We want to make it easy for farmers to bring their livestock to
market, to build a centre with social facilities, and have enough open space
for everyone to move comfortably, and this will also help to manage the
market efficiently. This will lead to better prices and sales for farmers.
UNDP Turkey : This is to make the free market more efficient and create a
suitable environment to make it run more efficiently, and also to make sure it
abides by some rules and international standards, is not it?
A.Ö.: We touched upon the economic aspect. There are also hygiene and
health aspects which are very important. Currently, the livestock market is
located in the center of the city and this is dangerous to our health. With the
new livestock market, it is aimed at removing these risk factors.
UNDP Turkey : When is it going to be finished? And how will it run itself?
Who will be taking care of this business?
A.Ö.: Ardahan Municipality is the most important partner in this project. The
municipality is supporting this. Since the provincial agriculture directorate
has a hand in this project, there is not going to be any problem with
managing this project. We plan to finish at the end of 2012, if everything
goes well.
UNDP Turkey : At the end this year, at least one part of this project will be
finished. You have already said that you aim to provide new methods, some
other techniques concerning animal husbandry to the region. Let us focus on
infrastructure a bit. This is a region where the rural population is dense. The
density of animals is also high. What kind of works will we have for rural
infrastructure?
A.Ö.: For 2012, we determined 40 villages for the application.
UNDP Turkey : From the three cities?
A.Ö.: Yes, 40 villages from the 3 cities. Now we are analyzing the needs of the
villages. After we take the other projects of the Special Provincial Directorate
and other institutions into account, inadequacies will be found out and the
feasibility study will start if it is affordable to do so. But firstly, the need
analysis will be carried out.
UNDP Turkey : Later on, there will be a chance to provide many things
through tenders such as drinking water and sewage systems to these 40
selected villages. These will be finished before the project ends. Let me
underline this: for UNDP, the project is based on the reduction of poverty.
Since poverty is high in the region, UNDP’s intervention aims to reduce
poverty. And the main executor here is the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and
Livestock. UNDP will provide the implementation support. What about your
budget?
A.Ö.: Our budget is approximately 22 million American Dollars. 26 million
American Dollars altogether including beneficiaries’ contributions. 22 million
dollars is provided by IFAD. And the other part is from the beneficiaries.
UNDP Turkey : It is provided by International Fund for Agricultural
Development, IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Then it is
transferred to the project by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.
Your target is 2015 in terms of the goals. When 2015 comes, what will be
different in these three cities? Let us finish with this.
A.Ö.: With rural infrastructure, we aim to prevent the diseases caused by
sewage and infrastructure problems. Economically, we aim to enrich the
sources of income for the rural population living in the region. Therefore, we
wish to enlarge the size of businesses dealing in livestock, for instance, from
5-10 cattle to a herd of 20-30 for example, and make them more productive.
UNDP Turkey : By aiming to reduce poverty, there will be a focus on
disadvantaged groups such as women and youth. Will you have some other
activities devoted to them during this period?
A.Ö.: Of course. We mostly talked about animal husbandry. Women play a
key role here. Generally, animal care, animal milking, collecting the milk and
so on are carried out by women. Because of this, we will have special courses
for women. We will do this by having them attend our theoretical and
practical education sessions which will take place in our producer education
center.
UNDP Turkey : We are talking about a multi-dimensional project with a
considerable budget. We can say that many things will change by 2015 in
these three cities. People who go there for the first time may not realize these
changes, but many things will change for residents of these cities. Thanks
very much for being with us. We have come to the end of this episode of the
New Horizons Podcast of United Nations Development Programme Turkey.
This program has been recorded at the studio of Radyo İlef of Ankara
University Communications Department. You can follow our program on
Açık Radyo (Open Radio) on FM frequency, on university radios in our
broadcasting network, on iTunes under podcasts and onundp.org.tr. Our
username for social media is undpturkiye. Hope to see you next week,
goodbye!
PODCAST 43
9 April 2012
How to Reduce Energy
Consumption in Buildings?
Tolga Yakar, Project Manager of
Promoting Energy Efficiency in
Buildings in Turkey
In this episode, we talk about a project aiming at reducing the
energy consumption of buildings in Turkey and by this means
reducing the GHG emissions.
UNDP Turkey : Hello, this is the New Horizons Podcast of United Nations
Development Programme Turkey. In this episode, we will talk about a project
aiming to reduce the energy consumption together with greenhouse gas
emissions of buildings in Turkey. My guest is Tolga Yakar, the coordinator of
the mentioned project.
Tolga Yakar ( T.Y.): Hello.
UNDP Turkey : This is a project named ‘increasing the energy efficiency in
buildings in Turkey’. Firstly, we can start by talking about the situation in
Turkey, if you wish. What is the situation in Turkey, that it requires this kind of
a project, let us begin with this.
T.Y.: In Turkey, the building sector is the second biggest sector after industry
in terms of energy usage. Statistics show that 36% of the energy used is
consumed by the building sector in Turkey. We can infer from some
indicators that there is a great potential for savings regarding energy usage
in buildings in Turkey. This potential varies between 30-50%, proven by
various analyses. And gaining back this great potential is going to be our
primary aim in the field of energy efficiency.
UNDP Turkey : There is a considerable potential, saving potential. By
buildings, what exactly do you mean? Do we mean all the buildings besides
industrial ones? If not, do we mean only our residences?
T.Y.: Sure, the building sector does not consist only of residences. Apart from
this; malls, hospitals or service buildings, offices and similar buildings can be
counted in the building sector and the energy consumption datas I have just
given above.
UNDP Turkey : What is the case in Turkey? Is Turkey bad at energy saving?
What is the saving potential in Turkey?
T.Y.: Actually concerning the energy efficiency, activities devoted to ‘gaining
back the saving potential’ have been going on for many years. However, all
these activities were limited to the industrial sector. In the building sector,
the only implementation was about having power saving home appliances
such as A+, A++ rated washing machines; lamps and so forth. Therefore, this
is what we can say; there have not been any activities until now intending to
achieve energy saving on the issues of heat exhaustion, cooling needs and
air conditioning.
UNDP Turkey : This is not only electricity, isn't it? We are referring to savings
from fuel, to gas, coal and every single energy resource for heating. But
buildings’ own potential for energy saving is what you focus on here, in this
project. So, do we mean all the processes from the first phase of design to the
last one, when it is open to usage, instead of talking about having A++ rated
washing machines and dishwashers?
T.Y.: Yes, actually we are talking about both phases, design of buildings as
well as the efficient ways of energy consumption during the use of these
buildings. Approximately 85% of the energy used in the buildings is used for
the purpose of heating, cooling and other conditioning activities. The energy
used by home appliances is negligible. Therefore; heating, cooling,
conditioning and lightening constitute the building’s main energy
consumption. We are saying that there is a chance of having a 30-50% energy
saving rate within this main energy consumption rate and we target this
section with our project. If we calculate the whole energy consumption
starting from the phase of design, to the production and supply of
construction materials, constructing the building and finally to the last phase,
demolition of the building, we can say that 80% of the consumption is done
during the use of a building, which is about 100 years. 80-85% of this 80%
portion is devoted to heating and cooling. In other words, our target is this
85% within 80%.
UNDP Turkey : What is this remaining 15-20% for?
T.Y.: For the construction and demolishment of buildings and the
production of tools and materials to be used during the demolishment
process.
UNDP Turkey : So they are all taken into account, but 80% is related to our
usage in this case. What can we do then? We are talking about the design but
I have had a look at the statistics and they show that urbanization in
1990 was 52%, as it is 74-75% in 2008. Turkey already has a stock of buildings.
Is there any activity for houses or buildings already in place? If not, will you
be doing this only for new residences? Can you tell about this in the frame of
your project?
T.Y.: Sure. You touched upon a significant point. Indeed, by saying ‘energy
saving in buildings’, we address two different groups. The first one is new
buildings. The other is for pre-existing buildings. The things that we can do
for new buildings are much easier. Byintervening in the buildings'
construction and design process, we may design energy-efficient buildings
by using some new techniques called ‘integrated building construction’ and
this is what we are trying to universalize. So, the energy need of the
buildings, for heating and cooling in particular, is minimized from the
beginning.
UNDP Turkey : Is this what you call ‘integrated construction design’?
T.Y.: We can describe this method of design like so during the designing of a
building, the traditional approach was to firstly let the architect design the
building , and then allow the staticician, the mechanics and the electricians
to do their work. But in the integrated approach, all these actors and
disciplines work at the same time. Moreover, the employees and residents
who are going to live there should be taken into account and using the
energy efficiently should be the first aim from the beginning.
UNDP Turkey : Seventeen million US Dollars… That’s the budget for the
project. The ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of
Environment and Urbanization, the Ministry of National Education, GEF, and
UNDP with its implementation support. you are already representing UNDP
in this project. We have understood what the project is and what logic
behind it . Let us talk about the aims of this project. What are your aims?
What is the final outcome?
T.Y.: We are aiming for three things with this project. At the end of the
project, we would like to reach a main goal: the first one is to empower the
legislation concerning the energy efficiency in buildings. We would Also like
toencourage the ministry of Environment and Urbanization, the Ministry of
Energy and its officials to take part in energy saving more actively.
UNDP Turkey : So the first one is ‘legislation’.
T.Y.: Yes. Apart from this, we would like to set an example with this new
approach, this integrated building design for new buildings and we would
like to show that by adopting this approach we can spend the same amount
of money during the design phase . Currently, three buildings are going to be
designed using our method. The first two buildings belong to the Ministry of
National Education, one school and one office next to it.
UNDP Turkey : And these are located in Ankara, arent they? They are Model
buildings… So, you are constructing model buildings with the highest
energy saving rate in Ankara.
T.Y.: Sure, we aim to construct not only energy efficient, but also cost
efficient buildings in comparison to the other Ministry of National
Education’s buildings.
UNDP Turkey : Do you mean the construction costs?
T.Y.: Yes, construction costs.
UNDP Turkey : And it is not yet certain where you will construct the third
one. Let us have a look at the next goals.
T.Y.: Next, our third aim is to promote and spread the integrated building
design approach. There is a system called the energy identity document in
Turkey. This system, as in the case of home appliances, aims to rate buildings
according to their energy consumption rate. Beginning from 2017, this new
identity document is expected to be adopted by all pre-existing buildings as
well.
UNDP Turkey : Are we able to see how much our new building consumes
energy?
T.Y.: For every single building constructed after 2011 that first obtained the
building license and then the occupancy permit , there should be an energy
identity document. Today there are 8,000 buildings registered to this energy
identity system and 90% of them are new buildings. These buildings were
given an energy identity document, in other words, an energy label. So when
you would like to purchase real estate, or rent a flat or an office, you will be
able to see the energy performance of these buildings, and this information
will be provided to you.
UNDP Turkey : This is a quite good aim, the third one. Let us finish by
mentioning your last aim.
T.Y.: The energy efficiency is, indeed, the first phase of this work. The aim is
not only to make buildings energy efficient. Afterwards, having sustainable
cities will be depend on having sustainable buildings. And our last aim is to
prepare the project for the last phase, examine the results of the former
phases and bring these results to the new phases.
UNDP Turkey : So let me summarize. You target legislation of the building
industry, you are going to construct three buildings, the model buildings ,
and you aim to spread the integrated building design approach and its
applications. Finally, you want to share the experiences that you will have
during this process, at the end of the project, which is expected to last 4
years. Thank you very much Tolga Yakar, the coordinator of ‘increasing the
energy efficiency in buildings in Turkey’. we talked about a project aiming to
reduce consumed energy together with Greenhouse gases, thereby, a project
aiming to contribute to sustainable development. We have come to the end
of this episode of the New Horizons Podcast of the United Nations
Development Programme Turkey. This program has been recorded at the
studio of Radyo İlef of Ankara University Communications Department. You
can follow our program on Açık Radyo (Open Radio) on FM frequency, on
university radios in our broadcasting network, on iTunes under podcasts and
on undp.org.tr. Our username for social media is undpturkiye. Hope to see
you next week, good-bye!
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