Status: ON-GOING

Project Duration: May 2024- May 2025 

Challenge 

Gölbaşı Lake, the last remaining wetland of Lake Amik drained in 1975, faces severe degradation and pressure from intensive human activities. Despite its critical importance as part of the African-Rift Valley and a migratory bird route, the lake’s biodiversity, including migratory eels, is threatened. The livelihoods of local communities dependent on agriculture, fishing, and aquaculture are at risk due to unsustainable resource extraction, exacerbated by the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake. 

 

Solution

To address the degradation of Gölbaşı Lake’s ecosystem, the project aims to organize educational programs and on-the-ground actions. By raising awareness and building capacity among target groups, NGOs, and young volunteers, the project seeks to mitigate human-induced activities and promote sustainable conservation efforts. 

 

Activities 

• Ecotourism and Biodiversity Awareness-Raising Training 
• Capacity-building training for local NGOs 
• Short Documentary highlighting the wetland’s importance 

 

Project’s deliverables

• Awareness Training for 500 residents emphasizing ecotourism and biodiversity conservation.
• Capacity-building Training for 50 local NGO volunteers to enhance their administrative skills.
• Organization of a local festival to raise awareness of Gölbaşı Lake’s importance and promote conservation efforts.
• Production of a short film and posters to effectively communicate the ecological significance of Gölbaşı Lake to a wider audience.

 

About the organisation: Hatay Nature Conservation Association carries out its activities to ensure that Hatay’s natural resources and biological diversity are protected and used in a sustainable future within the integrity of the ecosystem.