Within the scope of the project, the second Project Steering Committee Meeting was held on 3 March 2026 at the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion (ÇEM). The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Kasım Yenigün, Director General of ÇEM, and attended by representatives from UNDP Türkiye, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency of Strategy and Budget, and the Nature Conservation Centre.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Kasım Yenigün stated that the Eastern Black Sea Region—particularly Rize—offers a unique implementation area for the project with its distinctive natural and socio-economic characteristics. Emphasizing that the project was launched with ambitious goals, Yenigün underlined that resources had been planned to achieve maximum impact. He described the DOKSAY Project as a strategic tool that would serve as a model for integrated natural resource planning and generate solutions to rural challenges.

Recalling that field implementation had commenced following the Inception Workshop held under the project, Yenigün noted that activities were being carried out with determination and in close coordination among all stakeholders. He also stated that preparations were underway to share the project outputs on international platforms, particularly at COP31, which will be hosted by Türkiye.

In his remarks, UNDP Türkiye Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Miodrag Dragisic expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of sustainable land management practices based on field needs. Dragisic added that he eagerly looks forward to seeing the concrete and measurable results of the project activities.

During the meeting, the activities carried out to date under the project were reviewed. The work plan and budget for 2026 were presented to the committee members and approved unanimously. Potential risks that may be encountered during the project implementation process, along with proposed mitigation measures, were also discussed.