Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases in Turkey

Abstract

Within the course of significant changes in the history of humankind, the Industrial Revolution, together with the developments in science and technology, resulted in increases in the world population, which led to increases in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and concerns for human welfare. As a result, the composition of the atmosphere has changed, creating a change in the global climate. According to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this change will severely diminish the impact of the struggles for sustainable development. Turkey is located in the Mediterranean Basin, which will be the region affected most from climate change, the first impact of which will be severe drought. Climate change will significantly influence water, agriculture, and energy sectors. Because of steady population growth and intensive industrialization, total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Turkey steadily increased from 1990 through 2015. The energy sector in Turkey accounted for 67.8% of total GHG emissions, followed by industrial processes at 15.7%, agriculture at 10.8%, and waste at 5.7%. According to the modeling results covering between 2016 and 2099 in Turkey, especially in summer, an increase in the mean temperature between 1 and 4 °C is expected throughout different areas of the country.