Turkey saw record number of extreme weather events in 2022

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In the past two decades, the number of extreme weather events in Turkey has been on the increase as a result of the climate crisis.

In 2022, some 1,030 such events occurred, setting an all-time high for the country.

In the two previous years, the number of events was 1,024 and 984, respectively.

According to data from the General Directorate of Meteorology (MGM), extreme rainfall and floods made up 33.6 percent of all extreme weather events last year.

Poor infrastructure

Poor infrastructure and inadequate measures exacerbate the damage caused by extreme weather events in cities, said Özgür Gürbüz, campaign director for the Ekosfer Association.

"Just as we are not doing enough to stop the climate crisis, we are not taking steps to make our cities more resilient," he said.
"Unfortunately, we pay the price of these mistakes with the loss of life and property.

"The first step that needs to be taken to stop the climate crisis is to close coal-fired thermal power plants. Turkey has not yet determined a road map for this issue. Nor do we see a concrete country-wide plan to make cities resilient to the climate crisis." (TY/VK)