Turkey is one of the Mediterranean countries that have benefited from micro-projects within the project “Sustainable management of wetlands in the Mediterranean” financed by the FFEM in 2021.
In Turkey, DD has now almost finalised its micro-project, consisting of large-scale capacity
building of local/regional NGOs all over Turkey. Only one activity is still ongoing: a toolkit on
wetland conservation and advocacy, which will be finalised in February. In total, the results
are significant:
– The capacities of 40 conservationists from 19 environmental CSOs based in different
regions were strengthened in wetland conservation and advocacy.
– The capacities of 24 environmental lawyers from different regions, representing 8
professional civil society associations, were strengthened in wetland advocacy.
– 7 different wetlands (Kırmıtlı, Akcay, Tuzla, Lake Marmara, Sandras region, Gediz delta,
Tuz lake) are actively safeguarded by local CSOs after our training programme. All
these groups are actively supported by DD and other groups in the wetland network.
– Following the training, but outside the project, 6 CSOs filed 2 lawsuits against illegal
developments on the Akcay wetland, 5 other CSOs filed one against the change of
wetland legislation, and a last lawsuit is in preparation with 4 CSOs for the
conservation of the coastal area of Cesme and Alacatı.
– Women were always in the majority in training and workshops.
