Karatay Mayor presents climate resilience models in Ankara

At the 11th Urban Research Congress in Ankara, Karatay Mayor Hasan Kılca presented the municipality’s strategies for building climate-resilient cities. The congress, themed ‘Cities Resistant to Climate Change,’ brought together academics, urban planners, and local administrators to discuss water management, renewable energy, and disaster preparedness.

Mayor Kılca highlighted the immediate threats facing the Konya Basin, specifically citing drought, the depletion of groundwater resources, and the formation of sinkholes as evidence that climate change is a current strategic crisis rather than a distant problem. He emphasized that climate risks transcend administrative boundaries, requiring scientific data, local action plans, and integrated state policies.

Kılca also noted that Karatay’s sustainability efforts have gained international recognition. In 2021, Karatay became the first municipality in Turkey to prepare a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) report in both Turkish and English in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.