Mehmet Duman was a guest on TRT Radio 1’s “Society, Environment, Human” and EKOIQ Magazine.
Environmental issues were discussed during the show broadcast on TRT Radio 1.
Mehmet Duman, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments the Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA), answered the questions of Harun Yöndem, presenter of TRT Radio 1’s “Society, Environment, People” show.
Secretary General Duman talked about the structure of UCLG-MEWA and its activities, work fields, and committees. He also briefly spoke about UCLG World Organization and its regional sections on the radio show conducted by teleconferencing.
The show, which lasted for 40 minutes in a Q&A format, focused on the flood and fire disasters that have recently taken place in Turkey and the region. In relation to this, Duman highlighted the importance of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change for local and regional governments. He said that the Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, which was adopted by 196 countries at COP21 held in Paris on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.
In addition, Duman talked about the Sustainable Development Goals and mentioned some of the works the Organization has been doing to localize the SDGs.
UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Duman on EKOIQ Magazine…
Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, gave an interview to EKOIQ on the topic of local governments and climate change. After explaining the organizational structure and ongoing activities and projects of UCLG-MEWA, Duman gave information about the climate action plans of local governments in the Middle East and West Asia.
Pointing out the necessity of ensuring harmony between theoretical and practical information to keep climate change from turning into a climate crisis, Duman said that it is of utmost important that local governments update their climate action plans and set their priorities for each disaster.
Talking about the role of local governments in the fight against climate change, Duman mentioned that SDG targets are, to a great extent, related to the responsibilities undertaken by local governments. He further added that the powers of local governments, as levels of government closest to the people, should be expanded, and there should be a collective effort to adapt to climate change.