Country Comments

Turkey’s population and consumption levels are two and a half times greater than is sustainable. The European Environment Agency in its 2015 outlook stated Turkey has been experiencing environmental pressures due to population growth, industrialisation and rapid urbanisation. These pressures translate into a range of environmental challenges such as climate change, desertification, deforestation, water scarcity, nature degradation and marine pollution. (1)

In July 2021 its environment minister did claim that the country had increased the amount of protected area to 11.5% and that they are working to reach the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average of 17%, creating national gardens and ecological corridors on four ecological lines that will connect the north and south, and east and west of Turkey. (2)

Nevertheless the population continues to grow over a million new residents a year of which approximately 30 percent come from immigration from the civil war in Syria and other conflicts in the Middle East. This growth will continue to put pressure on already stressed natural resources. In a February 2022 the Hurriyet Daily Times Since an academic from Istanbul Technical University was quoted stating Istanbul alone now exceeds 20 million people. "Neither land, air, nor water can suffice for such a population. Istanbul is heading towards collapse,” (3) 2015 fertility rates have been hovering around replacement levels down from as high as 5 children 50 years ago. With declining fertility and erroneous fears of a slowing economy, President Erdogan in 2017 urged Turkish women to have as many as three children which will further impair efforts toward a sustainable future.

(1) https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/2015/countries/turkey

(2) https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/many-g7-member-countries-polluting-earth-turkish-environment-minister-166586

(3) https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/experts-warn-of-risks-from-growing-population-density-in-istanbul-171683