OECD Environmental Performance Reviews

ISSN :
1990-0090 (online)
ISSN :
1990-0104 (print)
DOI :
10.1787/19900090
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OECD Environmental Performance Reviews provide independent assessments of countries’ progress in achieving domestic and international environmental policy commitments and goals, together with policy-relevant recommendations.  They address the management of air, water, waste, biodiversity, and land; they examine the relationship between economic and social policy and the environment; and they describe the subject country’s international co-operation in such areas as climate change, marine pollution and development co-operation.  Each report includes a broad range of economic and environmental statistical data. On average, five or six countries are reviewed each year.

Also available in: French, German, Spanish, Italian
 
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Turkey 2008

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Authors:
OECD
Publication Date :
16 Dec 2008
Pages :
240
ISBN :
9789264049161 (PDF) ; 9789264049154 (print)
DOI :
10.1787/9789264049161-en

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This edition of OECD's periodic review of Turkey's environmental policy finds that Turkey has achieved consolidation of environmental progress and its environmental legislation is increasingly incorporating the EU environmental aquis. But pollution, energy, and resource intensities still need to be reduced and environmentally related health problems need to be addressed. This review systematically looks at air, water, nature and biodiversity, the environmental-economic interface, the environmental-social interface, and international co-operation, making 45 specific recommendations.
Also available in: French, Turkish

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  • Conclusions and Recommendations
    This report examines Turkey’s progress since the previous OECD Environmental Performance Review in 1999 and the extent to which the country has met its national objectives and international commitments regarding the management of the environment and natural resources. The report also reviews Turkey’s progress in the context of the OECD Environmental Strategy,** and compares to the recommendations of the 1999 OECD review. Progress has stemmed from environmental and economic decisions and actions by national and territorial authorities, as well as by enterprises, households and nongovernmental organisations. 45 recommendations are made that could contribute to further environmental progress in Turkey.
  • Air Management
    During the review period, Turkey achieved a strong decoupling of SO2 and CO emissions from economic development. The use of high-sulphur coal in residential heating has been prohibited, and its substitution by gas (mostly from Russia and Iran) has expanded in urban areas. Turkey has also developed significant lignite washing capacity. Energy intensity has improved, and air quality concerns have been better integrated into energy policies. The new Energy Efficiency Law and the Law on Utilisation of Renewable Energy Resources for Generating Electricity aim to promote energy efficiency and the use of renewables. There are lower tax rates for natural gas, LPG and bio-diesel. Part of these changes were brought about by the new regulations on air emissions from stationary sources.
  • Water Management
    Ensuring availability of water for the economy and the population was among the highest priorities in the 8th and 9th National Development Plans of Turkey. These plans also included a number of other objectives related to water management, which are gradually being met. For example, all river basins have now their water management plans, and water quality problems are being addressed. Investment in water supply and waste water infrastructure has increased, with funding from municipalities and the Bank of Provinces. The rate of connection of the population to waste water treatment plants has increased to reach about 40%. Out of 19 larger municipalities, 16 have waste water treatment plants. Almost all irrigation infrastructure (95%) was transferred to user associations and their operation is becoming more efficient.
  • Nature and Biodiversity Management
    The area of forest and other wooded land has increased to 27.2% of the national territory. Afforestation efforts, partly to combat soil erosion, have reached 250, 350 and 400 million planted seedlings respectively in 2005, 2006 and 2007, a major contribution to the UNEP goal of at least 1 billion tree planting worldwide each year. Legislation concerning biodiversity has improved, as have related institutional cooperation and co-ordination. The total extent of protected areas has increased during the review period and now accounts for 5.3% of Turkey’s total land area. Turkey has further strengthened the protection of these areas through management plans.
  • Environmental - Economic Interface
    Within a strong national economic and development planning founded on National Development Plans (NDP), increasing integration of environmental concerns has been achieved in several sectors, thus providing some progress in the practice of sustainable development. High road fuel prices and taxes (among the highest among OECD countries) provided incentives to reduce the use of petrol and diesel fuel and to renew the motor vehicle fleet. Turkey’s energy intensity improved as did its resource intensity. Lignite, which generates significant pollution when used for energy production, does not receive direct subsidies any more. The structure of agriculture subsidies has changed promoting more environmentally friendly practices. Absolute decoupling took place for municipal waste generation and the use of fertilisers. The regulatory framework for environmental impact assessment of projects has been strengthened and steps launched for the introduction of strategic environmental assessment of policies.
  • Environmental - Social Interface
    Important efforts have been made to increase access of the public to information in general and to environmental information in particular. Annual state of the environment reporting at provincial level has been supplemented by nation-wide reports. Environmental information units formed in government agencies, together with the state of the environment reports and national environmental statistics produced by the Turkish Statistical Institute inform the public about environmental issues. Public participation in the management of protected areas, in rural development and in EIAs procedures have become common and the number of environmental NGOs has increased. Initiatives to raise public environmental awareness, including training courses on environmental issues and environmental information dissemination have been developed for rural communities, the armed forces and prayer leaders.
  • International Co-operation
    Turkey significantly expanded its engagement within the international community in the field of environment over the review period. It is currently a party to most key regional and global environmental accords and programmes, and has made effective use of a variety of international mechanisms to acquire technical and financial assistance in support of its national environmental priorities. Its cooperation with the EU on pre-accession convergence efforts has helped keep Turkey’s international environmental commitments and responsibilities before national policy makers. It met its commitments under the Montreal Protocol to phase out ozonedepleting substances four years ahead of the target date, which was especially noteworthy given its policy of rejecting international pollution reduction targets based on its "special circumstances" (i.e. Turkey’s low per capita income level requires it to emphasise economic growth).
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