Climate change is systematic shock to civilization: UNDP

The climate crisis is a "systematic shock to civilization" rather than a social, environmental or economic issue, a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) official said on Feb. 26.

"It's a tremendous challenge for our planets and residents," Sukhrob Khojimatov, the UNDP's deputy resident representative, said at an event in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the project "Enhancing Adaptation Action in Turkey," Khojimatov stated that as the problem is systematic, thus the solution is also "expected to be systematic.

This "should increase [the] resilience of natural systems and human systems while decreasing inequality in all dimensions," according to the representative.

"Climate change has an impact on Turkey significantly in the last decade," he said, adding that the weather patterns are changing and "climate-related disasters are increasing" in the country.

He also said that there is also a long term increase in the number of summer days and tropical days in Turkey, an indication of climate change.

"Thanks to the fruitful partnership we have been working on energy efficiency, resource efficiency, renewable energy and integrated ecosystem disaster risk reduction," he added.

Khojimatov said the UNDP in Turkey and the Environment and Urbanization Ministry collaborated in the EU project, which aims to build resilient societies against climate change.

"The specific purpose of this project is to establish an enabling environment for climate change adaptation in Turkey by developing the policy, technical and operational baselines, which includes better decision-making tools for national climate change on the adaptation policies."

'Climate change has no borders'<...