republic of turkey ministry of environment and forestry directorate

REPUBLIC OF TURKEYMINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRYDIRECTORATE GENERAL OF AFFORESTATION AND EROSION CONTROL

ResultAdvantages that rehabilitation of naturalresources and increasing rural povertyactivities bring;• Conservation of current forests and rangelands,• Rehabilitation and development of degraded forestsand rangelands,• Prevention of erosion, flood and overflows,• Strengthening and diversifying agricultural systems,• Creating additional employment opportunitiesand decreasing poverty,• Strengthening organisational capacity.Advantages that decreasing and monitoringagricultural and animal related water pollutionactivities bring;• Increase in the quality of surface andunderground waters,• Decrease in nutrient discharge to major riversand Black Sea,• Compliance with environmental regulationswith regard to water discharges,• Compliance with EU regulations and good agriculturalpractices with regard to Nitrate monitoring,• Creating additional employment opportunitiesand decreasing poverty,• Strengthening organisational capacity.

Most important reasons for natural resource destruction at the upper watersheds are rapid population growth,insufficiency of farming resources, rural poverty and as a result of these factors over-grazing, heating andgaining farmland activities.First watershed based works in Turkey were introduced with the aim of decreasing the damages of floods andoverflows and thereby providing safety for current dams through erosion and afforestation projects. Theseprimary implementations at the upper watersheds were realised as decreasing soil erosion, facilities regulatingthe water regime and afforestations. In the meanwhile, various supports were provided to the watershed localcommunities by conservation of natural vegetation cover and regulating grazing at rangelands. Preventions forincreasing isolation in the houses were developed in order to decrease wood consumption.In Eastern Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation Project, which was a first generation watershedrehabilitation financed by World Bank, integrated participatory approach was embraced and a projectapproach was implemented in which all related government agencies cooperated with the local people. All theactivities within the project were aimed at upper parts of the catchment.Natural resource conservation and rehabilitation was targeted and in order to reach this target, income raisingactivities to increase the living standard of local community as well as training the local people for naturalresource preservation and sustainable management activities were realised. Local people were trained whilethe capacity building activities for the agencies were also continued.In Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation Project, which is a second generation watershed rehabilitation,the overall watershed was taken into consideration and in the selected micro-catchments integration ofpreservation and rehabilitation of natural resources with income raising activities are aimed at. Training of localpeople as well as capacity building of related agencies are targeted. In sustainable watershed management,decreasing the pollution in surface and underground waters deriving from animal related activities and manureand pesticide used in agricultural activities; thereby decreasing the drainage of nutrients into seas are aimedat. Monitoring water pollution, supporting organic farming activities, spreading these activities all around thecountry and providing support in implementation of EU Nitrate Directive are also targeted.Çoruh River Rehabilitation Project is similar to the previous projects in a different part of the countrywith different characteristics; apart from the abovementioned activities, extending and supporting the solarenergy system, which is a renewable energy source, was targeted in order to reduce consumption of fossil fuel.In the third generation Watershed Rehabilitation Projects that are in the making, integrated watermanagement is included within the projects since the need for water resources increases along withconservation and improvement of natural resources. The following subjects are featured: prevention ofpollution deriving from industrial and domestic wastes, water production, management and operation of upperwatershed forests in line with water production, planning product range according to current water bodies, etc.The Experience and Development obtained in the Watershed Rehabilitation Projects that are implementedin Turkey, appear as a model to be used in similar watersheds.1

WatershedA watershed is a plot of land that is dividedby a stream and has idiosyncratic naturalresources. A watershed starts where the wateris discharged into seas or lakes, proceedsto the peak and is divided into severalmicro-catchments.WatershedManagementIs planning, developing and management ofsustainable use of natural resources in a waythat social, cultural and economic developmentof the community will be provided by consideringmain principals of ecology in a watershed.Main elements of watershedmanagement are Soil,Human and Management.WatershedRehabilitationWatershed rehabilitation covers all the activitiesrealised in order to provide social, cultural andeconomic development of the local communityin the watershed by taking technical, cultural andadministrative precautions to set natural balanceamong soil, water and vegetation in a Watershed.3

WatershedManagement WorksWatershed management works werefirst started in Europe and then reachedto America later. In France, the aim ofthese works is flood control, whereasAmerica aims to provide continuous,safe water of good quality. Because thedensity of the community living in highermountainous catchments is generally low.These sites are covered with extremelywide forests and rangelands. Unlike theabovementioned developed countries,in developing countries like our countryhigher catchments have high populationdensity. Therefore, the objectivesin watershed management may differin many ways.In all countries, at the beginning,watershed rehabilitation was firstlyimplemented for immobilising the soil,developing the forests and constructinginfrastructure facilities such as ponds.Today, improvement of local community’slife standards and sustainability areincluded among watershed rehabilitationobjectives.4

Policies of WatershedRehabilitation ProjectsGlobal warming and climate changes are the most significant problems, today, that standbefore the humanity. Combating against desertification and drought is a common responsibilityfor all the countries in the world. The problems, deriving from global warming and climatechange as a result of the increase in the greenhouse gases, are accelerating day by day.The most significant problem that the world mustdeal with today is to build up a system whichwould provide a sustainable natural resourcemanagement meeting basic needs of humans. Animportant way of providing these is preparation andimplementation of participatory and IntegratedWatershed Rehabilitation Projects on watershedbasis which include ecologic, social, cultural andeconomic aspects by common efforts of all sectors.In order to decrease the pressure of localcommunity on natural resources of the watershed,local community’s opinion should be taken in alltypes of activities and the activities should besupported by income raising activities which wouldincrease the life standard.The most significantproblem that the world mustdeal with today is to build upa system which would providea sustainable natural resourcemanagement meeting basicneeds of humans.Policies of WatershedRehabilitation Projects• Conservation, Rehabilitation and Managementof Natural Resources,• Conservation of Natural Resources throughIncome Raising Activities, Rehabilitationand Management Activities Integration• Developing Human Resources• Sustainability and Generalisation5

The method of approach that prioritisespublic participation in the decisions relatedto local implementations constitutes the maintheme in this type of projects.6

Approach in WatershedRehabilitationIt is considered that water management starts from upper watersheds; that functional forestryworks in these catchments constituting the water bodies have a key role; that degradationsin the upper catchments directly affect the water management in the lower catchments andthe ones that use the water bodies in these catchments; and that it is obligatory to approachwatershed management in an integrated way.With the activities towards conservation of upper watersheds, and afforestation and plantationactivities; protection from direct rain contact and so prevention of surface flows, erosion, floodsand overflows as well as feeding underground waters are aimed at. All these preventions areto provide a healthy and natural water cycle in a sustainable way.Rural poverty is an important elementfor pressure on the natural resourcesof upper watersheds and it constitutesan important problem leading to the disorderof the natural balance in these watersheds.Therefore, attempts are made for integrationof preventions for watershed rehabilitationand conservation with preventions forincreasing rural poverty.Water protection can be realisedthrough soil conservation.It is considered that a part of the incomescollected directly or indirectly as a resultof using water bodies should be sparedfor financing the preventive activitiesto be realised at the upper watersheds.7

Challenges inthe Watersheds• Soil erosion• Natural resource degradation• Over- and irregular grazing at therangelands• Poor vegetation• Over- and irregular use of forestlands• Nomadic animal husbandry• Dispersed settlement• Decrease in human resources(Insufficient manpower due tomigration)• Decrease in animal productivity• Misuse of farmlands• Insufficient water bodies• Lack of modern agriculturetechniques• Insufficient organic substanceat farmlands• Rural poverty• Lack of training for correct useof natural resources• Destruction due to industry andpolluted natural resources• Incomplete land cadastre8

Results of LandDegradation at the Watersheds• Increase in erosion• Increase in salinization of soil• Decrease in farm products(Quantity + Quality)• Increase in insects and diseases(Plant + Farming)• Decrease in fodder crop at the rangelands• Decrease in biological diversity• Decrease in water yield• Increase in forest fires• Plant extinction• Decrease in water bodies• Increase in water demand• Increase in natural resource degradation• Increase in floods and overflows• Poverty and migration9

Watershed Rehabilitation ProjectsBy coordination of Directorate General of Afforestation and Erosion ControlEASTERN ANATOLIA WATERSHED REHABILITATION PROJECTANATOLIA WATERSHED REHABILITATION PROJECTÇORUH RIVER WATERSHED REHABILITATION PROJECT10

Eastern Anatolia WatershedRehabilitation ProjectThe project handled with rural poverty and natural resource degradation problems in upper Euphrates andTigris River catchments, was carried out by World Bank loan support, aimed at sustainable and improvedrangeland, forestry and agricultural activities at the micro catchments by decreasing soil erosion andincreasing soil fertility.• The project was started in 1993 at Elaz›¤, Malatyaand Ad›yaman provinces, continued in 1998 atAdana, K.Marafl and Sivas and in 1999 at Isparta,Antalya, Mersin, Gaziantep and fianl›urfa provinces;in total the project was implemented in85 micro-catchments at 11 provinces and wascompleted as of 30 September 2001. At the endof nine year project implementation, all agenciesspent US$78,333,000 in total.• In the project, participation of local communityis aimed at as well as decreasing erosion inrangelands and forestlands,• Increasing fire wood and fodder plant production,• Enabling sustainable use of marginal farmlands,• Supporting income generating activities whichwould result in a short term so that localcommunity would embrace the implementationsat the rangelands and forestlands,• Increasing the responsibility level of localcommunity in resource planning and managementand enabling their participation are also aimed at.COLLABORATING AGENCIES WITHINTHE INTEGRATED PROJECT• Directorate General of Afforestation andErosion Control (as Coordinator)• Directorate General of Forest Village Relations• Directorate General of Forestry• Directorate General of Rural Affairs• Directorate General of Agricultural Productionand Development11

Realised Works• 73.156 ha. Soil Conservation Afforestation,• 19,882 Ha. Rangeland Rehabilitation,• 2240 Ha. Oak,1687 Ha. Cedar Rehabilitation, workswere realised and for all these works from thebeginning until the end of 2001, US$ 27,039,000foreign loan was used and US$15,998,000 internalexpenditure was made and totally US$ 43,027,000was spent.12

• Within the Project, TÜGEM realised the following works: 7,888 ha Agronomic Packageimplementation, 9,813 ha. Mitigation of Fallowing Land, 1588 ha. Demonstration Work, 1,224,000Pistachio Grafting, 238,049 Field Boundary Seedling Plantation, 1,903 ha. Irrigated FodderProduction, 8,864 ha. Fruit Orchard Establishment and 34,560 Beehives distribution. Totally,US$ 6,047,000 was spent for all these works.• As a result of project implementations,KHGM spent US$29,258,000 in total.• 1,069,498 m irrigation channel,• 1.260 irrigation ponds,• Small water bodies were used,• 2,643 ha agricultural terrace construction wasrealised and 12,368 ha area was openedto irrigation.13

Anatolia WatershedRehabilitation ProjectThe Project was put into force following the agreement signed by Turkish Republic and World Bankon October 4 th , 2004 and the coordinator unit of the project is Directorate General of Afforestationand Erosion Control.Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation Project covers natural resource rehabilitation and decreasing ruralpoverty activities in 28 upper micro-catchments located in Amasya, Çorum, Samsun, Tokat, Sivas andKayseri provinces in watersheds of K›z›l›rmak and Yeflil›rmak rivers; and decreasing and monitoringagricultural, animal and water pollution activities in lower micro-catchments.This project aimsat participationof all relatedgovernmentagencies aswell as localcommunity fora sustainablenatural resourcemanagement.15

Project Development ObjectiveThe project’s overall development objective isto support sustainable resource managementpractices in 28 micro-catchments in Anatoliaand Turkey’s Black Sea Region and therebyraise incomes of communities affected byresource degradation.Global ObjectiveThe global objective is to introduce farmingpractices which will reduce the discharge ofagricultural nutrients into surface and groundwater in watersheds draining into Black Sea.Project MissionAll communities and related groups that areresponsible for natural resource managementand affected by this management, are involvedin each phase of management includingdecision making, planning and implementation,monitoring, evaluation and assessment.PROJECT BUDGET (Million $)Loan Grant TotalWorld Bank 15.70 7.00 22.70Government 11.49 2.20 13.69Participator 7.71 0.80 8.51Total 34.90 10.00 44.9016

IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES AT THE CENTRAL LEVELMinistryMinistry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF)General Directorates• Directorate General of Afforestation and Erosion Control (AGM)• Directorate General of Forestry (OGM)• Directorate General of Forest Village Relations (ORKÖY)• Directorate General of Environment Management (ÇYGM)Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA)• Directorate General of Agricultural Production and Development (TÜGEM)• Directorate General of Protection and Control (KKGM)IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES AT PROVINCIAL LEVELAgenciesGovernor’s officeRelated agencies within the projectInternational OrganisationsRelated Departments• Provincial Directorates of Environment and Forestry (AGM, ORKÖY, ÇYGM)• Regional Directorate of Forest and Operational Directorates (OGM)• Provincial Directorates of Agriculture• Special Provincial Administration Directorates• Municipalities, Mukhtars• NGO’s• Cooperatives and Associations• Others• World Bank (WB)• Global Environment Facility (GEF)17

Project ActivitiesI- Rehabilitation ofDegraded NaturalResources• Rehabilitation of forestlands,rangelands and farmlands.• Environment friendly agriculturalpractices.• Measuring and monitoring waterpollution.18

Rehabilitation of Degraded Natural ResourcesActivities Unit Project RealisationObjective as of 2008Soil Conservation Afforestation Hectare 15.600 13.527Protection and Rehabilitation of Poor and Degraded Soils Hectare 2.265 490Soil Conservation Afforestation Maintenance Hectare 9895Rehabilitation of High Forest with 10% Canopy Closure Hectare 807 560Planning of Range Management in Forest Land Hectare 1.800 950Management of Range Rehabilitation in Forest Land Hectare 2.350 2.725Range Rehabilitation Activities out of Forest Land Hectare 2.442 503Oak Coppice Rehabilitation Hectare 2.875 150Participatory Planting Hectare 710 70Construction of farm and household type manure store facilities Number 800 265Construction of central manure store facilities Number 11 6Establishment of water monitoring points Point 107 8919

II – Income Raising Activities• Small scaled irrigation.• Agricultural terrace and production in these terraces.• Increasing and developing product variety in agricultural products.• Developing animal husbandry, greenhouse, fishery and beekeeping.Income Raising ActivitiesActivities Unit Planned Realisation (*)Mitigation of Fallowing Land Hectare 1.834 1.498Correct Use of Marginal Agricultural Land Hectare 509 604Environment Friendly Farming Techniques Hectare 155 3Irrigated fruit production Hectare 539 149Rainfed fruit production Hectare 751 148Irrigated fodder production Hectare 596 821Vegetable Production Hectare 199 29Trees along field boundaries Hectare 90 57Apiculture Unit 360 69Dairy cow keeping Unit 168 272Dairy sheep keeping Unit 169 42(*) Realisation as of 200820

III- Strengthening Policy and Regulatory Capacitytowards Meeting EU Standards• Supporting implementation of EU Nitrate Directive.• Setting and introducing agricultural practice rules.• Corporate support for organic farming.22

IV– Training and AwarenessRaising Works• Conservation of natural resources,• Increasing productivity in farming,• Training the farmers about inorganic manure andpesticide use, and organic farming techniques as wellas introduction of new techniques to the farmers andawareness raising works will be continued duringthe project period.Training andawareness raisingworks are focusedon income of localcommunity andsustainability ofnatural balance.24

Çoruh RiverRehabilitation ProjectPlanned ProjectsÇoruh Watershed is located at northeast of Turkey, at the south of BlackSea and adjacent to neighbouring country Georgia border and coversnearly 2 million hectares land. The project is an integrated project andArtvin, Bayburt and Erzurum provinces are included within the project.There are 18 Micro-catchments within the project, 12 of them are of highpriority and covers 604,301 hectares land, 242 villages and 55,000 people.Coordination of the Project will be undertaken by Directorate General ofAfforestation and Erosion Control and the Project will be financed byTurkish Republic and JICA.Participatoryapproach andsustainabilityare aimed atthis projectas are otherimplementedwatershedrehabilitationprojects inour country.27

Planned Projects• Subproject A: Conservation,rehabilitation and sustainablemanagement of natural resource• A.1 Erosion control and preventionof natural disasters,• A.2 Rehabilitation and sustainable managementof rangelands,• A.3 Natural resource development servingfor multiple MCs,• Subproject B: Livelihoodimprovement of villagers• B.1 Small scale irrigation infrastructure improvement,• B.2 Income generating activities,• B.3 Wood consumption saving practice,• B.4 Marketing assistance serving for multiple MCs,• Subproject C: Capacity development• C.1 Natural disasters' prevention,• C.2 Integrated and participatory approachon watershed rehabilitation,• C.3 Technical training of line agencies' staffs,• C.4 Capacity development of local communities,PROJECT AGENCIESMINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAND FORESTRY• Directorate General of Afforestationand Erosion Control• Directorate General of Forest VillageRelations• Directorate General of NaturalPreservation and National Parks• Directorate General of ForestMINISTRY OF AGRICULTUREAND RURAL AFFAIRS• Directorate General of AgriculturalProduction and DevelopmentSPECIAL PROVINCIALADMINISTRATIONS• Artvin, Bayburt ve Erzurum28