Photo:©FAO

Ankara – The “Sanliurfa Steppe Conservation Strategy and Action Plan” was finalized at an online technical meeting held yesterday, with the participation of approximately 45 stakeholders, local experts and academics, as part of the project “Turkey’s Steppe Conservation and Sustainable Ecosystem Management”. The meeting introduced the Strategy and Action Plan to the participants, collected their opinions and suggestions, and established a calendar for finalization.

The meeting was opened by Nihan Yenilmez Arpa, FAO Project Coordinator, who offered her thanks to all project stakeholders, academics, and provincial working and expert groups who contributed to the Sanliurfa Steppe Conservation Strategy and Action Plan, especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and related institutions, and to the expert group on behalf of FAO and the Project Management Unit. She continued as follows: “This strategy and action plan for the Province of Sanliurfa has been prepared with a broad group of stakeholders. During the preparation process, a detailed study was made to establish clearly the current situation. The main problems and needs were defined together with the local issues, and strategies and actions were determined to meet the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. This work is the product of intensive labour, and can be used as a reference document for other provinces in Turkey.

The preparation phase of the Sanliurfa Steppe Conservation Strategy and Action Plan took approximately one-and-a-half years. As part of the process to develop the strategy and action plan, three workshops and numerous group meetings were held, and efforts were made to reach all concerned stakeholders. In the process, a wide array of opinions were gathered including from the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the General Directorate of Plant Production, the central and provincial units of the General Directorate of Forestry, public institutions and organizations in the province of Sanliurfa, experts from Harran University, faculty members and many other academics, local government units, the private sector and non-governmental organizations. Overall, approximately 200 experts contributed to the preparation of the strategy.

The strategy sets out the general characteristics of the Sanliurfa steppes as well as the legal and administrative situation, and within this framework defines and presents strategies and mechanisms for cooperation and the coordinated management of the steppes.”

The prepared strategy will be submitted to decision-makers to obtain their support for implementation. The different implementation possibilities will then be explored in close cooperation with the Governorship of Sanliurfa.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project “Turkey’s Steppe Conservation and Sustainable Ecosystem Management” aims to ensure the effective management of protected areas and enhance the protection of biodiversity, thereby strengthening the protection of Turkey’s steppe ecosystems. The project is being implemented in the Kizilkuyu Wildlife Development Area, the TekTek Mountains National Park and the Karacadag steppes in Sanliurfa.

The project is a collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF) General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMPGM), the General Directorate of Plant Production (BÜGEM) and the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM), and receives the financial support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The project is coordinated locally with the active participation of the Sanliurfa Governorship, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Sanliurfa) 3rd Regional Directorate, the Sanliurfa Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the Sanliurfa Regional Directorate of Forestry, Harran University and other stakeholders in the region.