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About the Project

Integrated Natural Resource Management in Very Humid Climatic Regions of Eastern Black Sea Coastal Region (EBSLM) Project aims to develop institutional and technical capacities for integrated natural resource management in the Eastern Black Sea Coastal Region of Turkey. For this purpose, the project aims to increase the capacity of local stakeholders by implementing sustainable land management (SLM) techniques, contribute to land degradation neutrality (LDN) efforts, promote sustainable land use models, and strengthen ecosystem resilience. The project is being implemented in the Kireçhane micro basin of the Salarha Municipality of Rize Province and covers a 36-month period between 2024 and 2027.

The project consists of four main components. These components are as follows::

Integrated Natural Resource
Management Planning

Sustainable Land Management
Field Applications

Information Management
and Dissemination

Monitoring and
Evaluation

Proje Ekibi

Sibel Nihal Tekin

Proje Koordinatörü

Çölleşme ve Erozyonla Mücadele Genel Müdürlüğü

Adem Kürşat Özcan

Project Coordinator

General Directorate for Combating Desertification and Erosion

Esra Kartal

Field Coordinator / Project Manager

Nature Conservation Centre

Soner Oruç

Field Officer

Nature Conservation Centre

Yıldıray Lise

Sustainable Forestry Expert

Nature Conservation Centre

Melike Kuş

Sustainable Agriculture Expert

Nature Conservation Centre

Gözde İloğlu

Climate Expert

Nature Conservation Centre

Implementers and Stakeholders of the Project

The Integrated Natural Resource Management in Very Humid Climatic Regions of the Eastern Black Sea Coastal Region in Türkiye Project (EBSLM) is a project supported through GEF-7 cycle carried out in partnership with the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion Control (ÇEM) under the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (MoEUCC), relevant governmental institutions, and with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project is being implemented by the Nature Conservation Centre (DKM) with the support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

About The Project: The Integrated Natural Resource Management in Very Humid Climatic Regions of the Eastern Black Sea Coastal Region in Türkiye Project (EBSLM) is a project supported through GEF-7 cycle carried out in partnership with the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion Control (ÇEM) under the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change (MoEUCC), relevant governmental institutions, and with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project is being implemented by the Nature Conservation Centre (DKM) with the support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

 

client

The EBSLM Project is a multifaceted project that aims to make significant environmental, social, and economic contributions to Turkey. It aims to develop cost-effective, nature-based solutions to land management challenges. By blending traditional knowledge with innovative practices, the project plays a significant role in environmental sustainability, rural development, and combating climate change. The project particularly supports the transition to a more resilient and adaptable land use and sustainable development model in the Eastern Black Sea Region.

The EBSLM Project directly contributes to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Turkey's Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets set within this scope, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and Turkey's goals related to mitigation and adaptation strategies to combat climate change.

Project Site

The project's pilot implementation site is a micro basin of approximately 430 hectares located within the Kireçhane neighborhood of Salarha Municipality, Rize.

The region has a very steep topography and receives heavy rainfall throughout the year. These geographical and climatic characteristics make the micro basin extremely vulnerable to disaster risks such as floods and landslides.

Chemical fertilizers, particularly those used extensively in tea cultivation, negatively impact the soil's physical and biological structure over time, reducing its water-holding capacity and increasing the risk of erosion. This situation not only reduces agricultural production capacity but also increases disaster risks due to increased excessive rainfall caused by climate change.

Floods and landslides in the region in recent years have caused significant economic losses and destruction of natural resources in the tea plantations. In this context, the project aims to implement sustainable land use, ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, and nature-based solutions that integrate traditional knowledge with innovative ideas.

For a Nature-Compatible Future

A Vision for the Future
in Harmony with the Land

Aim

To build institutional and technical capacity for integrated natural resource management in Türkiye's Eastern Black Sea Region.

Objective

To implement Sustainable Land Management (SLM) techniques that blend traditional knowledge with new global approaches.

Future Vision

- Improving land cover, land productivity, and soil carbon storage
- Increasing the functionality and resilience of ecosystems
- Strengthening the resilience of community livelihoods
- Developing agricultural and forest resource production systems
- Strengthening food and health security