A Call to the World from Karapınar, Turkey:
DO NOT BECOME A DESERT !..

Drylands Environmental Sustainability Integrated Research Areas (DESIRE) project of TEMA Foundation (Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats) has been awarded by the Mitsui 2006 International Environment Fund. Japanese Mitsui & Co., Ltd, has a history of 130 years, is based in Tokyo, and has overseas offices in 72 countries involving various sectors and supports many environmental projects. The DESIRE project was selected for funding among hundreds of applications around the world.

The objectives of the Mitsui supported TEMA project DESIRE are;

• To determine the results of the Erosion Control Project run in the 1960s by the Soil and Water Resources Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works and communicate its outcome internationally,

• Create sustainable livelihoods activities including rain-fed crop and fodder production, and pastures rehabilitation through the lesson learned from Karapınar Erosion Control Station, in two neighboring villages with the participation of the local people,

• Disseminate successful outcomes of DESIRE through the international I-DESIRE network component by promoting traditional methods, sustainability and replication of the project

Karapınar, the Blooming Desert
Karapınar Erosion Control Station is the biggest and most successful erosion control project in Turkey and one of the 10 biggest projects in the world. The extremely arid land at Karapınar erosion area was successfully converted into production land by the state agricultural agencies between 1962 and 1970.

Successful Outcome in Karapınar will be disseminated globally through international I-DESIRE network

DESIRE project will be implemented in the next two years. The results will be shared during a meeting among researchers, members of the academic community and representatives of NGOs. The establishment of the Karapınar Sustainable Land Management Center by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will also be supported by the project.

Karapınar Erosion Control Project run by the state agricultural agencies has had extremely successful results. I-DESIRE will assess and demonstrate those results. We expect that the Mitsui TEMA project will shed light on and show the way to similar efforts both in Turkey and other parts of the world.

Note for editors:

Karapınar is a district of Konya with a surface area of 2675 km2, and population of 42.259. The region has a dry and continental climate. Mean annual precipitation is 275 mm and the yearly average temperature is 11 °C. South and Southwest winds induce soil erosion. Wind speed may occasionally reach a maximum of 110 km/h.

Reasons why Karapınar is prone to wind erosion:

• The basin is an old lake bed. After the water has withdrawn, the sand has formed dunes on the surface,
• Sheep grazing is widespread in the region and dense grazing down to the roots of the grass damages grazelands
• Plants that are not favored by sheep but that are important soil stabilizers (Astragalus, Verbascum and tapir as known locally) are uprooted by the local people as fuel in winter
• Excessively deep ploughs or and application of soil mixing machines like diskharrow in fallows and for cereal crops
• The region has regular strong wind.

Karapınar is prone to immigration due to loss of arable land resulting from strong wind erosion that took place in the 60s.

The sand storms have blocked land traffic on the Konya-Adana main road.

Sand storms have caused property damage and agricultural machinery was unable to be used. Local children could not be transported to the schools. Dust and sand storms also caused some respiratory diseases.

References
Web site of the General Directorate of Rural Affairs http://www.khgm.gov.tr/GDRS.HTM

TEMA Foundation has been established in 1992 to raise public awareness and to lobby for improving governmental policies to combat erosion and stop deforestation. It is active across Turkey with more than 550 representatives and has 280.000 supporters. Across the country 66 reforestation and 40 rural development projects were implemented to improve livelihoods on more than 100.000 hectare land. By 2006, the Foundation has planted more than 4.000.000 trees on 3.750 hectare land with the support of citizens and organizations.

Project Information Sheet