NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN OF TURKEY ANKARA, 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................................................................................i PREFACE..........................................................................................................................................................................................iii FOREWORD ....................................................................................................................................................................................iv ABBREVIATIONS...........................................................................................................................................................................v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................vi 1. THE CONTEXT OF NEAP ...................................................................................................................................................1 Importance and Preparation of the NEAP 1 The Physical Environment 3 Human Resources 4 The Economic Development and the Environment 5 2. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................................11 A: Environmental Policies and International Activities 11 B. Legal, Regulatory, and Monitoring Framework 12 C. Institutional Setting 14 D. Managerial Instruments 17 E. Constraints on Effective Management and Their Consequences 23 3. AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE OF TURKEY ........................................................................................................27 A. The Urban Environment 27 B. Natural Resource Management 36 C. Marine and Coastal Resources 46 D. Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites 51 E. Natural and Man-made Environmental Hazards 53 F. Priority Geographic Areas 55 4. TOWARDS A NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PLAN...........................................................................57 A. Formulating the Action Plan 57 B. Priority Actions 59 C. Implementation Strategy 67 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................................................72 ANNEX 1 .........................................................................................................................................................................................77 i Stakeholder Participation Process 77 ANNEX 2 .........................................................................................................................................................................................89 International Environmental Commitments 89 ANNEX 3 .........................................................................................................................................................................................92 LEGISLATION AND CONSTRAINTS 92 ANNEX 4 .......................................................................................................................................................................................105 Environmental Regulations and Standards 105 ANNEX 5 .......................................................................................................................................................................................117 Staffing and Structure of the Ministry of Environment 117 ANNEX 6 .......................................................................................................................................................................................118 Sectoral Options for Environmental Management 118 The Urban Environment 119 Natural Resource Management 127 Marine and Coastal Resources 131 Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites 133 ANNEX 7 .......................................................................................................................................................................................134 Investment Briefs 134 ANNEX 8 .......................................................................................................................................................................................144 Indicators for Monitoring the NEAP 144 ii PREFACE The attached National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) attests to the recognition being given to the need to address the issues of environmental pollution and degradation. This NEAP defines environmental priority actions and identifies sources of pollution that are a threat to human health and the environment. While the NEAP is a remarkable effort in identifying the environmental needs of the country, the challenge remains in its implementation, given the wide range of priorities that need to be addressed. Over the past three years, the Bank was privileged to observe the NEAP’s development, which was a genuine participatory process. Important contributions from government agencies, industries, the private sector, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and citizens have been incorporated in the document. The consultative process used in the preparation of this document has brought about public ownership of the NEAP which will facilitate its implementation. The credit for this goes to the State Planning Organization (SPO). The Ministry of Environment (ME) was the key partner of SPO during the process by providing technical assistance. In order to achieve country’s environmental objectives, the NEAP (i) proposes a number of actions for developing an effective environmental management system; (ii) emphasizes the need for enhancing environmental information and awareness; (iii) includes a set of new investment proposals on different thematic areas; (iv) builds the first steps to adopt EU environmental standards and regulations at a feasible pace for integration with the EU in the long term. We endorse the need to improve environmental management, particularly building the institutional and regulatory capacity of ME and its local boards, including enhanced monitoring and evaluation; sustainable urban pollution abatement strategies, in collaboration with local governments; effective permitting and enforcement activities; and viable financing mechanisms to strengthen provincial environmental directorates. We further endorse the emphasis on phasing-out leaded gasoline, including the use of differential taxation to encourage the respective consumer behavior. We recognize the importance of increasing the use of natural gas for residential use and, where gas is unavailable, high quality coal along with an air pollution strategy for medium-sized cities. We support the call for corporatization of water and sanitation utilities and the need for cost recovery in setting respective user fees. Improved infrastructure services and efficient use of municipal resources, including the participation of the private sector is key to municipal reforms. We underline the serious soil erosion problems and hope that a concerted program can be developed to address this, drawing from the experience and practices of the Eastern Anatolia Watershed Management Project. The Bank commends the significant work and participatory process in developing this important document and intends to draw from it in developing our Country Assistance Strategy. Support from the international bilateral and multi-lateral agencies is also critical to implement the environmental concerns raised in the NEAP. In this context, it is important to estimate the costs of some key action items that need to be addressed in the short term. We look forward to our collaborative work with the country in assisting to implement the NEAP. Ajay Chhibber Director Country Department VI Europe and Central Asia Region iii FOREWORD Towards the attainment of sustainable development, besides appropriate economic and social policies, a set of essential steps including the development of an environment strategy; for identification of priorities in relation to the environmental investments, creation of the basis of collaboration between relevant organizations; and collection of information on environmental investment programs to mobilize the support of the international organizations are required. Preparation of “the National Environmental Action Plan” emanated from the need to respond to these requirements. The process of preparing the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) for the country started in the first months of 1995, under the coordination of the State Planning Organization and with the technical assistance of the Ministry of Environment and the financial support of the World Bank. Efforts were made to ensure a wide participation to the process of preparation. For this purpose, in addition to relevant public and private sector organizations, representatives from universities, non-governmental organizations, municipalities and professional organizations were invited firstly to take part in working groups and then in a series of search and decision conferences. Such a wide participation was deemed necessary to ensure the commitment and adoption of the final action plan by all parties and stakeholders. Within the scope of the project, nineteen thematic “working groups” were formed. The National Environmental Action Plan was assembled within this framework, basing on