"Clean Air Day for Blue Skies" Celebrated in Turkey for the First Time

Nowadays, protection of air quality is at the forefront of the most important environmental issues related to human health. Indeed, 9 out of every 10 people in the world breathe polluted air, and annually 8 million people are affected by diseases caused by air pollution. The importance of global effort and cooperation on this matter. It returned to the agenda with the COVID-19 pandemic that deeply shook the entire world. In its 74th session held in December 2019, the United Nations, taking all of this into consideration, declared 7 September as "Clean Air Day for a Blue Sky" throughout the world. "Clean Air Day," to be celebrated for the first time this year, aims to increase public awareness at all levels and encourage efforts to improve air quality. Celebrations conducted within the scope of the CityAir project, the Improving Air Quality in Cities and Public Awareness Project run by Turkey's Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, will gain continuity from this year onwards.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Birpınar: We are developing long-term strategies

A broad-based Clean Air Special Session was held under the hosting of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization with the participation of the Environmental Directorates of all 81 provinces, in order to emphasize the importance of 7 September "Clean Air Day." Speaking at the session, Deputy Minister of Environment and Urbanization Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Birpınar stated that every matter related to air quality must be addressed on a global scale. Noting that the "International Clean Air Day" declared by the United Nations will further strengthen currently ongoing cooperation, Birpınar continued as follows: "Numerous studies are being conducted at national and international levels to improve air quality. Projects that will serve as examples to the world, such as the Smoke-Free Air Space implementation, National Gardens, and the Zero Waste Project conducted under the patronage of Emine ERDOĞAN, are being implemented one by one. As a party to the United Nations Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Convention and the Climate Change Framework Convention, we are fulfilling our responsibilities.

We view improving air quality as inseparable and particularly important because it also contributes directly to combating climate change. As a country, we always prioritize environmental sensitivity in our energy, transportation, industrial and agricultural policies.

The shift towards renewable energy sources, energy and resource efficiency, and transportation infrastructure projects have a direct impact on improving air quality. The preference for electric vehicles in our domestic automobile and investment in a domestic solar panel production facility are among the most important projects realized in recent times." Emphasizing that they support bicycle path projects in intra-city and inter-city transportation, Birpınar noted that they are taking necessary steps to complete 3,000 km of bicycle paths and 3,000 km of green walking paths by the end of 2023. Birpınar stated, "We are supporting the construction of bicycle paths that will be integrated with the European Bicycle Network-Eurovelo. Particularly during the pandemic period, our citizens are choosing bicycles and e-scooters instead of public transport. In this context, we are jointly conducting legislative work with the relevant Ministries, especially to promote the use of bicycles and e-scooters in city centers. We are developing strategies to use our country's resources for heating in the most efficient and effective manner. We continue our work on the use of clean technology in industry and emission reduction. As a Ministry, we have been monitoring air quality for many years.

Data obtained from existing stations provide an idea of the pollution status of cities. We can track changes in pollution over the years.

However, our objective is for every neighborhood, every district, every province to have information about air quality. To achieve this objective, establishing a sufficient number of stations requires significant costs. For this reason, as practiced worldwide, we will support our ideal number of stations with modeling studies," he said. Noting that many projects have been implemented so far under the Environment Chapter, which was opened to negotiations in 2009 during Turkey's European Union membership process, Birpınar said: "We transposed the EU Directive into domestic legislation and are implementing it. Currently, we are implementing the 'Environment and Climate Action Sector Operational Program.' Under this program, the European Union allocated EUR 335 million to our country. Through the 'Improving Air Quality in Cities and Increasing Public Awareness Project' conducted under 41 signed agreements, we aim to increase public awareness, which is essential for the protection of air quality."

UNEP Europe Director Bruno Pozzi: Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk to human health

Bruno Pozzi, Europe Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), stated that air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to human health in Europe. Pozzi said: "While air pollution is an important environmental problem, it also causes significant harm to human health and the economy. For this reason, the United Nations General Assembly decided to declare 7 September as 'World Clean Air Day for a Blue Sky.' As we have begun work to build a better future together after the COVID-19 period, we can use the current technology and solutions at hand for the goal of a cleaner sky."

EU Delegation to Turkey Head Ambassador Meyer-Landrut: "Nothing can be as valuable as the air we breathe"

Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, stating that approximately 6.5 million people across the EU face diseases such as stroke, asthma and bronchitis annually, with air pollution at the root of these issues, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization for organizing this important event together with the UNEP Europe Office. Through such steps taken by the Ministry via the CityAir project and such efforts, I am fully confident that the EU will have contributed to better management of air quality in Turkey and improved living standards for those living in Turkey. Every year, more than 400,000 people have their life expectancy shortened due to causes related to air pollution. Yet nothing can be more valuable than breathing. This is why we in the European Union are trying to raise standards to the highest level possible and closely monitor cities' air quality. We are greatly pleased to work together with the Turkish Government and municipalities in this field to share common knowledge and experience."

Prof. Dr. Alper Ünal: Individual awareness is vital for sustainable clean air

Speaking on the environmental impacts of air quality, City Air Project expert and Associate Professor at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Eurasia Earth Sciences Institute, Climate and Marine Sciences Department Prof. Dr. Alper Ünal, noted that the coronavirus outbreak actually demonstrated how important individual measures are in combating air pollution. Ünal said, "Particularly in large cities, the reduction in the number of vehicles entering traffic due to a significant portion of the population staying home reduced PM₁₀, what we call particulate matter-related air pollution, by 32 percent. This is a very significant rate. To make this permanent, significant tasks fall on both the public and individuals." Pointing out that the United Nations aims at global improvement in air quality by raising international awareness on this matter, Ünal continued: "All actors working on this issue are being brought together to work on a solution that spreads from the local to the global level. In the Emission Inventory Workshops we conduct within the scope of the CityAir project, we ensure that local authorities and all stakeholders related to the issue are informed. This awareness that starts locally will enable the issue to be addressed at the national level in the coming period."

Isparta Emission Inventory Workshop conducted online

The Emission Inventory Workshop, the fourth major technical workshop of the Improving Air Quality in Cities and Increasing Public Awareness Project (City-Air), was conducted with the participation of Isparta province and the South Central Anatolia Clean Air Center Directorate and nine other provinces (Afyon, Aksaray, Antalya, Burdur, Karaman, Kayseri, Konya, Nevşehir, Niğde) within their area of responsibility. At the workshop, attended by the provincial field organization, municipalities and authorities responsible for air quality of these provinces, the current situation regarding air quality and future planning details for these provinces were discussed. In the training sessions organized within the scope of the workshop, the development stages, basic principles and objectives of province-specific emission inventory and modeling were discussed in detail.