Kartepe Summit Begins
Kartepe Summit Begins
The Kartepe Summit, held 24-27 March under the theme "Resilient Cities and Urban Transformation," has begun. The opening session of the four-day summit was held in Kartepe. At the opening, hosted by the Marmara Municipalities Union and Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahir Büyükakın, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder made significant statements. Schröder said, "Turkey is a strong country" and stated that the two nations have many common efforts in various areas.
In his opening remarks, "Today 50 percent of the world's population lives in cities. You must find water for all these people, you must find food, you must protect them against disasters, you must deal with climate change. So what needs to be done to accomplish these things? We need to think. We need to be prepared for what issues await us in the future. An idea platform will have been created here today. Perhaps the most valuable thing is this," Mayor Büyükakın used these expressions, emphasizing the importance of acting together and continued: "The recent experience of the pandemic and issues like climate change have clearly shown us that we must act together. From what I see, there are several inseparable elements for a city's rise and the world's advancement in civilization. We must create such a habitat that on one hand enables people to develop themselves, and on the other hand creates an ecosystem that encourages innovation. To be able to read the future correctly, that city should also be a center of attraction for scientists. I want to say with pride today that this has begun in our city."
Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum: "World Population Expected to Reach 9.7 Billion in the Near Future"
Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, who spoke at the summit opening, noted that we are passing through a historic period marked by fragile relations in every area from earthquakes to climate change, from epidemics to negative developments in international relations, from restrictions in global trade to wars and conflicts, and expressed the following: "In this fragile period, our cities continue to grow due to population increases in our country and around the world. World population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in the near future. Approximately 63 percent of the population in developing countries will live in urban centers. 91 percent of consumption will also take place in our cities. According to the United Nations, by 2030 the number of megacities will increase to 41 with a significant rise, and the number of medium-sized cities is expected to increase to 558.""We Will Clean Up Accumulated Bottom Sludge in Izmit Bay"
Stating that the course of the world will be determined in the coming last 10 years, Kurum said, "Our world has warmed. In this past 10-year period, the entire world needs to act together. We need to prevent this wastefulness and industrialization. As a result of disasters occurring in the world today, we face enormous loss of life and property. The frequency of disasters is increasing both worldwide and in our country. We believe that early warning systems are also very important. This is not a choice but a necessity. All steps that will guarantee sustainability must be taken urgently. We must adapt our cities to this new transformation. We will take the steps we will take within the framework of green development with this thinking. We are one of the countries that pollutes the world the least. Despite polluting the least, we are fighting very seriously on this issue," he said. Minister Kurum also gave Kocaeli good news in his remarks. Minister Kurum said, "We will clean up the accumulated bottom sludge in Izmit Bay. Thus, Izmit Bay will become a place where our families can walk around and breathe."UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Louisa Vinton: "Very Serious Solutions Must Be Produced Regarding Climate Change"
UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Louisa Vinton, who spoke at the Kartepe Summit and stands out for leading initiatives on flood prevention, nature protection, energy efficiency and climate resilience, stated that the Kartepe Summit is an ambitious summit and continued his remarks: "Cities are places where people face many problems. We saw this in the pandemic. In a dual sense, we also see this in climate change. In this context, cities can be problem-creating places but cities can also be the source of solutions. Cities don't just become places where the world's population is increasing; they are also very important in terms of local administrations. Places where decisions directly affecting everyone's lives are made. Wherever UNDP works, we make sure to work with local stakeholders like Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. Especially on climate issues, being late in a more ambitious and rapid solution process brings death. In this context, very serious solutions must be produced regarding climate change."Advertisement
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