Turkey with significant greenhouse gas emission reduction potential needs the use of international support for finance, technology and capacity building including the Green Climate Fund after the Paris Agreement enters into force in order to achieve the objectives stated in the INDC. Besides, Turkey generated over 4 million USD of income by trading 3.2 million tons of carbon credit in voluntary markets in 2015.30 GREEN CREDIT SDG Targets 13.2 – 5.1 – 5.c – 7.2 – 7.a – 8.2 – 8.8 – 12.2 Executing Entity Garanti Bank Start & End Dates 2014-2018; 2018 - Ongoing The project aims to ensure that non-financial environmental, social and governance criteria be used as performance indicators to increase the multiplier effect on contributing to sustainable development and set an example for the banking sector through pioneering and innovative practices of sustainable banking. Accordingly, the following are undertaken: •The awareness of companies in Turkey is increased, •Companies are enabled, through soft credits available only for green investments, to better manage risks and opportunities in environmental, social and governance spheres at all operational levels, •With audits to be conducted by independent international rating agencies, this new financing model will contribute to transparency of management and communication of of non-financial risks in Turkey. In this context: •Garanti Bank adopted its Sustainability Policy in 2014. •Sustainable banking is realized through an assessment of environmental and social risks including technological innovations, management of environmental footprint arising from operations, and risk management. •Garanti Bank was assisted in developing an effective organisational structure and strong corporate governance system to achieve the sustainability targets. •Through Green Credit and cooperation with Zorlu Enerji, 10 million USD in credits was made available, with loan interest indexed to the company’s sustainability performance, marking a first of its kind in Turkey. Under the Green Credit process, Vigeo-Eiris, an independent international rating agency, regularly rates the performance of Zorlu Enerji in environmental, social and governance. Green Credit represents a credit mechanism that positively contributing to the recipient companies’ performance in environmental, social and governance, improving the sustainability performance of the private sector, elevating national and international reputation of firms, and decreasing financing costs. 30 CBD State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2016 Many projects are being implemented by our country to develop capacity in the context of climate change for developing and LDCs. The 6th International Training Course on Meteorological Radar, the Fourth International Workshop on Meteorology and Combating Dust Transport, Desertification and Erosion and Project for Providing Meteorological Satellite Data to Central Asian Countries are some of the few examples. NEXT STEPS: The following policies will be implemented in the upcoming years to achieve SDG 13: • Improving the implementation of measures for reductions in sectors causing greenhouse gas emissions to the extent of national conditions, • Ensuring the control of greenhouse gas emissions through new technologies and energy efficiency practices and reduction of loss and illegal use rates in electricity, • Developing the technical and institutional capacity needed to analyse risks in priority areas to increase resilience to climate risks, • Identifying and prioritising the impacts of climate change and adaptation needs on national, local and sectoral basis, • Developing climate change mitigation and adaptation capacity at local level, • Increasing practices in water basins on water saving, combatting against drought and pollution prevention by evaluating the impacts of climate change on water quantity and quality, • Protecting qualified agricultural lands and forest areas, in particular natural protected areas with special importance; make combat against desertification and erosion effective; using pastures more effectively and efficiently by speeding up pasture rehabilitation activities; developing range of products resilient to drought and taking preventive measures by monitoring their effects on soil resources in the context of climate adaptation in agriculture, • Prioritising transport systems that provide energy efficiency, the use of clean fuel and environmentally friendly vehicles, • Increasing the share of railway and maritime transport in freight transportation, • Expanding energy efficiency practices in buildings, • Making demand management effective by developing public transport in urban transportation and benefiting from the practices of intelligent transportation systems in traffic management, • Expanding integrated waste management practices. 113 TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS “Strong Ground towards Common Goals”
5.14. SDG 14. CONSERVE AND SUSTAINABLY USE THE OCEANS, SEAS AND MARINE RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Turkey, a country surrounded by seas on three sides, is a country with high biological diversity through the effect of different ecological characteristics of its seas and inland waters. Therefore, conservation, development, sustainable use and effective management of water resources, in particular marine resources, are important. POLICIES In addition to NDPs and strategic plans of relevant public institutions, key policy documents on SDG 14 include the National Climate Change Strategy, Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, Biological Diversity Strategy and Action Plan, National Wetland Strategy, Turkish National Marine Research Strategy Document. The key components of the policy framework in line with SDG 14 are as follows: • Protecting water quality in coastal and transitional waters, • Expanding marine and coastal protected areas, strengthen and effective management of the protection system, • Ensuring efficient stock management through identification, monitoring and inspection of aquaculture product stocks, • Supporting sustainable aquaculture production, • Improving aquaculture, • Conserving gene resources in aquaculture and establish gene banks, • Promoting research and technology development activities for aquaculture, • Facilitating access of producer organisations to the market, • Executing resource management effectively and based on scientific data and strengthen its administrative capacity in fishery, • Increasing competitiveness in international markets through product diversity and branding in aquaculture, taking into account environmental sustainability. LEGISLATION Our legislation includes regulations for the protection of coastal, marine ecosystems and prevention of their pollution. Under the Law on Environment and related legislation, principles for prevention of waste originated from maritime activities and land-based waste to our seas were determined. The procedures and principles of monitoring and inspection to prevent water pollution, principles and permission of wastewater discharge were regulated. To ensure maritime safety if pollution occurs, conserving marine and marine environment and preventing damages to human life and property regulations were institutionalized. Legislation also covers the protection of aquaculture stocks as economic resources and potential trade assets. IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPROVEMENT AREAS SDG 14 is assessed on two focus areas: i. Prevention of marine pollution and protection of ecosystem, and ii. Sustainable production and stock management of aquaculture products. Ecosystem based approach, taking into account the quality and volume of water resources, is used for prevention of marine pollution and protection of marine ecosystem. Monitoring and prevention of pollution, identification and protection of biological diversity are a common practice. In our country, there are a total of 26 million hectares of water area, including 24.6 million hectares of sea and 1.3 million hectares of inland water. The number of our inland water resources is increasing day by day depending on the number of ponds and dams constructed for irrigation and energy production. As of 2017, there are approximately 200 natural lakes and 1,414 reservoirs in our country. Also, there are many water sources available for cultivation along with 178,000 km of rivers which can be used as production area. 114 TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS “Strong Ground towards Common Goals”
The total coastal length of Turkey is 8,592 km excluding islands, of which 1,957 km (23%) is protected. Marine protection areas cover 1,444,293 hectares. More than 5,000 species live in our seas, 480 of which are fish and 2,114 are algae. Eleven sea mammals, including Mediterranean monk seals, whales and dolphins, live in our seas. There are also approximately 3,000 plant and animal species in the coastal areas. Policies and practices to mitigate marine pollution need further improvement to respond to climate change, oceanic acidification and eutrophication that effected inland seas as well. To reduce the ship-based pollution caused by marine traffic, the waste generated by ships in maritime jurisdiction is collected by 301 coastal facilities provide waste reception services. These wastes are separated according to their types and sent to recovery/disposal facilities. Seventeen regional agreements to which Turkey is a signatory (such as Barcelona, Bucharest Conventions), the relevant protocols and EU directives at the stage of harmonisation (Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive) take into account the ecosystem-based management. The Water Framework Directive aims to achieve good chemical and ecological status on the coasts. In this context, Water Quality Management Strategy and Action Plan (2013-2023) were prepared in our country. In order for the sustainable use of marine resources, work on developing Turkey Marine Environment Strategy was initiated in 2018. Many studies are conducted in the field of protection of marine ecosystems and prevention of their pollution. Chemical and ecological status of our seas were determined by following chemical and biological parameters in sea waters, seabed and fish and mussel tissues through the Integrated Pollution Monitoring in the Seas Project that was implemented between 2014-2016. It was observed that the sunlight is sufficient and terrestrial nutrients inputs are increased in all our seas, pollution reaches the highest values by the increase of primary production in winter period and there is no significant difference between years. Our seas are monitored at 353 points in the framework of national legislation and international conventions. Marine Dredging Practices and Environmental Management of Dredging Material (DIPTAR) Project is one of the projects with high impact on the reduction of marine pollution. Under the project; discharge and disposal criteria, discharge areas suitable for our seas, strategies for monitoring the environmental impacts, alternatives for the beneficial use of dredging material were determined in accordance with the conditions of our country by taking into account the EU criteria. In the context of sustainable production of aquaculture products and stock management, activities are undertaken for monitoring stocks, protection of endangered species, and reinforcement of stocks through fish-stocking. In addition, many important steps were taken in the aquaculture sector such as the use of information and communication technologies, certification and inspection of aquaculture facilities. As of 2017, 56% of fish production is derived from fishing and 44% from aquaculture. In 2007-2017, fishing of aquaculture products in marine and inland waters fluctuated and decreased by 44%. Aquaculture production increased by 98% and reached 276,000 tons in 2017 through the developments in aquaculture processing technologies. Exports of aquaculture products, which were 273 million USD in 2007, reached 855 million USD as of 2017 through the increase in aquaculture. Regulations on location, time, length, type, distance, depth and fishing equipment were made to prevent the decrease in stocks of aquaculture products as a result of overfishing, unconscious fishing and to ensure sustainability. In addition, destructive fishing by explosive and harmful substances is prohibited. To reduce the pressure of fishing on resources, granting new boat licenses were stopped considering the balance between the stocks of aquaculture and the fishing fleet. In 2012, support payment made in return for decertification of fishermen who wanted to remove their boats from fishing. In this context, a total of 1,264 fishing vessels in lengths of 10 meters or more were removed from the fleet in 2012-2018. As of 2017, the number of fishing vessels was approximately 18,000. 87% of our fishing fleet in the marine and inland waters consists of fishing vessels of less than 10 meters in size, of which the share in total production remains around 10%. Many families make a living from small-scale and traditional inshore fishing which is more environmentally friendly and effective for sustainable stock protection. Financial support is given to 115 TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS “Strong Ground towards Common Goals”
the fishermen who do traditional inshore fishing and have a valid license according to boat size to increase registration. Fishing Boats Monitoring System (BAGIS) was established in 2016 to prevent and inspect illegal fishing which is one of the important threats affecting the sustainability of aquaculture resources. BAGIS devices have been installed on 1,350 fishing boats which are sized 12 metres or larger and meet approximately 90% of fishing production to monitor navigation information, fishing activities and aquaculture products. As of 2018, the number of fishing boats monitored under BAGIS increased to 1,550. Marine and inland water conservation system to prevent unreported and unplanned hunting is critical. Priority should be given to fishermen’s and aqua-culturists’ organisations to include them into decision-making processes and provide training on legislations and registration. Fishing places and fish stocks in the inland waters are determined and leased to cooperatives established by fishermen who want to benefit from the source for certain time. In these areas, only a certain number of fishermen, who are the members of the leasing cooperative, can do fishing with their vessels. Capacity building by means of increasing water area allocated in the dam reservoirs from 1% to 3% for aquaculture and introduction of standards in favour of manufacturers in the lease of water surface and water rights increase aquaculture production. Grants are given to small and medium sized enterprises under the Programme for Supporting Rural Development Investments to create alternative sources of income in the field of aquaculture and processing, packaging and storage of aquaculture products. Low-interest investment credits and business loans are provided for fisheries and aquaculture by Ziraat Bank and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives. 50% of the insurance premiums for aquaculture products producers in marine and inland water facilities are covered by the state. Strengthening physical and research infrastructure of aquaculture institutes to support R&D work, production activities and new species in fisheries and aquaculture continues. WOMEN FISHERS SDG Targets 14.2,14.4,14.7,14.b,14.c -5.1 – 5.5 – 5.c Executing Entity Mediterranean Conservation Society, Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work, Central Union of Aquaculture Products Cooperatives Start & End Dates 2015-2017 To generate solutions to occupational problems, increase capacities of organising and occupational knowledge, and boost public visibility of women fishers, “Aegean’s Women Fishers” project was implemented between 2015-2016, and “Setting Nets to Anatolia: Women Fishers” project between 2016-2017 in the Special Environment Protection Zone at Bozburun, Datça. “State of Women Fishers in Turkey” report was published as part of the project output. Women fishers received training on leadership, organisation, cooperativism, and equipment assistance. A Women Fishers Commission was established at the Central Union of Aquaculture Products Cooperatives at Beysehir Lake. Press releases and publications were prepared to boost visibility of women fishers at national and local levels, training was organised for children. The maintenance and repair works are undertaken for fishing ports, which are the most important infrastructure needs of the aquaculture sector, and various model works are in progress to enable the construction of superstructure facilities that allow fishermen to store and market their products at the landing points. As of 2018, there are 384 fishing ports, boat yards and shelters in our country. NEXT STEPS: The following policies will be implemented in the upcoming years to achieve SDG 14: • Making maximum use of aquaculture resources in marine and inland water taking into account the balance of protection and use in the framework of sustainability, • Increasing the share of aquaculture consumption in meeting protein needs of people, • Increasing the effectiveness of producers’ organisations in aquaculture production and marketing, • Establishing fishing ports and logistics centres of which infrastructures and superstructures are finished and from which fishermen and aqua-culturists benefit, • Ensuring rapid access to accurate, reliable and up-to-date data by recording the aquaculture products obtained from marine and inland waters at landings, • Improving the legal infrastructure for the protection of aquaculture stocks and aquaculture development. 116 TURKEY’s 2nd VNR 2019 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS “Strong Ground towards Common Goals”