Restoration Begins in Izmir’s Gediz Delta.

Climate Adaptation and Resilience Demonstrated in the MEDiterranean Region (CARDIMED) project with 51 partners, applied in 2022 under the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission within the scope of the Horizon Europe Program, aims to introduce a framework to build climate resilience in the area by efficiently unifying the individual efforts of regions and communities across different countries and continent. For this purpose, nine pilot areas were determined within the Mediterranean biogeographical region, including the Gediz Delta.

In the South Gediz Delta, where the delta intersects with the city, activities will begin in October with the collaboration of Doga, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, IzDoga, Izmir Institute of Technology, and Izmir Water and Sewerage Administration (IZSU). The 4.5-year project aims to increase biodiversity, minimise pollution, strengthen the ties between the delta and the local people, and prevent excessive salinisation through freshwater inflow. Additionally, biodiversity monitoring will be conducted in the final year of the project to detect the impact of our activities on the ecosystem. These efforts will minimise the pressure and threats in the Gediz Delta, set an example for the other regions of Türkiye, and ensure that the delta will continue to provide an environment for thousands of species in the future. The team will come together for the Kick-off Meeting of the project in Athens on September 27-29, 2023.

Gediz Delta is one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean Basin due to the diversity of habitats providing wintering, foraging, and breeding grounds for thousands of lives. The delta hosts 300 of 500 bird species recorded in Türkiye. Urbanisation, poor water management, unsustainable agricultural practices, illegal hunting, coastal erosion, and pollution are only some threats to the delta. We continue to work to mitigate threats, building on more than 20 years of effort on biodiversity, monitoring, awareness, and advocacy in the Gediz Delta.