A World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report released in February 2007 warns that rising global temperatures will bring serious environmental and agricultural damage to the Mediterranean basin and central Anatolia, with the Konya plain identified as among the most climate-vulnerable areas on Earth.
Rainfall across the Mediterranean has already declined 20 percent over the past 25 years, the report notes. If temperatures climb by 2 degrees Celsius over the next 20 to 50 years, mountainous areas in the region could lose half of their plant species, while Spain and France alone may see 80 percent of their flora disappear.
Inland areas of Türkiye and northern Italy would experience an effective temperature increase closer to 5 degrees, according to the report. Longer dry seasons and up to six additional weeks of fire-risk conditions are also projected.
Crops such as beans, soybeans, and lentils face declining yields as heat and drought intensify. The report further cautions that Türkiye could face chronic water shortages unless it overhauls its agricultural policies and irrigation practices. Increased flooding is also forecast for the region.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in February 2007, in its own words.