During the summer of 2021, Türkiye was strikingly confronted with and devastated by the climate crisis and the resulting global warming and other disasters. Dozens of people lost their lives and several settlements were utterly ruined by massive flooding.Some wildfires that lasted for days caused massive destruction in forests; forest land burned down.We witnessed lots of sufferings – people lost their lives, houses, villages and jobs.All of these calamities were broadcasted by TV channels and were viewed for days.Floodings and fires wreaked havoc also on several settlements in the Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia Regions where KAMER is organised. People took a hard hit by massive flooding in the districts of Van. Some people lost their lives, wildfires in Tunceli lasted for days.These events in the Region were not featured in the media, except for a few news announcements.However, the regional destruction caused by climate change was not limited to these events. The real catastrophe was unfolded by the requests of women who comprise KAMER’s target group for help and during the course of KAMER Team’s fieldwork.Poor women who produce various products by using natural resources had considerably lost their opportunities and the revenue they generate during the summer of 2021.The wells, streams and brooklets as well as planted vegetables and grains dried up due to extremely hot weather conditions and droughts. Women who used to consume the herbs they pick from the countryside both fresh and dry were deprived of that opportunity significantly.It is acknowledged that the adverse effects of climate change are continuing (and will continue) to increase. The practices of the government in Türkiye reveal that the politicians – in general – are not equipped with the required knowledge about or disregard the climate crisis, the disruption it leads and will lead in the future, the essential measures to be taken and the climate injustice.And, we as the NGOs also overlooked the climate crisis while dealing with numerous other issues.However, just like all the other crises, the climate crisis primarily affects the poor – predominantly the women and children – who suffer from a number of issues simultaneously, that is, intersecting issues.After acknowledging this, KAMER aimed to raise awareness on the climate crisis by rapidly learning about and sharing information on the issue. Initially KAMER Team learned about and became equipped with knowledge about the climate crisis thanks to the support of our academics who have been working on the issue for years.We prepared presentations based on what we have learned and carried out fieldwork. We reached thousands of women and contributed and will contribute to raise their awareness on “Climate Crisis and Viewing It from a Gender Perspective”.This publication was drawn up with the aim to learn, get empowered, and expand together, and to be shared with any person / organisation who / that demands.
Best Regards to Contributors, On behalf of KAMER Nebahat Akkoç
