Ibrahim Yuksel

Global Warming and Hydropower in Turkey for a Clean and Sustainable Energy Future

More generally, global warming and climate change and sustainable development interact in a circular fashion. Climate change vulnerability, impacts and adaptation will influence prospects for sustainable development, and in turn, alternative development paths will not only determine greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels that affect future climate change, but also influence future capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Impacts of climate change are exacerbated by development status, adversely affecting especially the poor and vulnerable socio-economic groups. The capacity to adapt to climate change goes beyond wealth, to other key pre-requisites of good development planning, including institutions, governance, economic management and technology (Kaygusuz, 2001; Yuksel, 2008a). Meanwhile, global warming and climate change poses an unprecedented threat to all human beings. While this problem is important in the long-run, most decision-makers recognise (especially in the developing countries), that there are many other critical sustainable development issues that affect human welfare more immediately. However, even in the short term, climate is an essential resource for development. For example, in many countries (especially the poorest ones), existing levels of climatic variability and extreme events pose significant risks for agriculture, economic infrastructure, and vulnerable households. Climatic hazards continue to take their human and economic toll even in wealthy countries. Such climate threats, which undermine development prospects today, need to be better addressed in the context of the long-run evolution of local and regional climates (PEWCLIMATE, 2002; Yuksel, 2008a). Delivering sustainability demands that this access and security of supply be provided, while avoiding environmental impacts, which would compromise future social and economic development. Drawing on the wide-ranging discussions of the Congress, the World Energy Council draws some conclusions a few of these as follows (WEC, 2004; Yuksel and Sandalci, 2009):