TURKEY tr-national

Environmentalists walk to raise awareness of soil erosion in Turkey

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News | 11/18/2009 12:00:00 AM |

Hundreds of environmentalists set out from Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Wednesday morning on a walk organized by the TEMA foundation to raise awareness about the dangers of desertification resulting from widespread soil erosion in Turkey.

Hundreds of environmentalists set out from Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Wednesday morning on a walk organized by the TEMA foundation to raise awareness about the dangers of desertification resulting from widespread soil erosion in Turkey.

As a part of national “erosion combat” week, the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitat, or TEMA, has organized a series of walks through six cities across Turkey in an attempt to encourage people to take precautions against erosion.

In an introductory announcement, TEMA General Manager Orhan Doğan highlighted that 1.4 billion tons of soil is eroded in Turkey per year. “While much of this erosion is caused naturally through rain, wind and flood, we can implement strategies to protect the soil as it is one of the most important resources we have,” Doğan said.

Doğan explained that in order to achieve this, state environment protection policies need to be implemented without any compromise. According to Doğan, this can only be achieved if the appropriate legal regulations are administered and effective public support is put forward.

Doğan thanked all the representatives of TEMA for their support, dedication and hard work. “We need many more representatives to see the urgency in this problem so they can urge the government to take appropriate measures and save Turkey from the dangers of desertification,” he said.