Mr. Kurum, who will lead the annual UN climate summit COP31 in Antalya this November and serves as Türkiye’s Minister for Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, has led the ministry’s reconstruction effort which has already rebuilt almost half a million homes across the affected region.
Speaking at an international conference in Hatay, one of the epicenters of the destruction, Mr. Kurum set out how the COP31 President sees the November conference as “a platform for solutions – one that responds to the challenges of cities, makes the capacity of local governments visible, and turns words into concrete results.”
He explained the Presidency’s intention to make resilient cities one of the fundamental priorities of the international climate agenda “because globally, we must reduce emissions from buildings.”
Today, nearly three quarters of global energy consumption takes place in cities and around 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions originate from cities. In this way, cities “are the main arenas of climate action.”
Minister Kurum noted that through the reconstruction process, Türkiye had expanded its definition of resilience beyond earthquake preparedness and created a new roadmap “built on the principles of efficiency, environmentally friendly buildings, zero-waste, smart systems management.”
By adopting the nearly-zero energy building concept, new developments in Hatay had reduced energy consumption by almost 40%. “We are taking all these steps in harmony with our 2053 Net Zero Emissions Target and our Green Development Vision.”
The COP31 Presidency is currently running consultations with key stakeholders on key outcomes that can be delivered during the summit. Resilient cities will be in the spotlight at the summit in Antalya and provided with platforms to share best practice, while Türkiye would also share its experience.
To advance its work, the Presidency is signing at the conference an agreement with UN-Habitat to establish Istanbul as a regional hub for cooperation on urban planning, housing and land management across Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Serving more than 24 countries, the centre will advance joint projects and help connect investable urban development initiatives with international financing.
[The Hatay Resilient Cities Forum takes place from 8–9 May in Hatay, Türkiye against the backdrop of one of the largest reconstruction and urban resilience programmes currently underway in the country. The Forum will bring together key ministers, government officials, financial institutions, local authorities and civil society and is designed to generate practical outcomes and policy contributions ahead of COP31.
Following the February 2023 earthquakes, Türkiye accelerated a nationwide urban transformation and reconstruction programme focused on rebuilding homes and infrastructure while strengthening disaster preparedness, energy efficiency and climate resilience across its cities. This urban transformation programme combines large-scale housing renewal, public investment, local delivery and updated resilience standards, with a particular focus on high-risk urban areas such as earthquake-hit areas and Istanbul.
In this context, the Hatay Cities Resilient Forum provides an opportunity to discuss how resilient cities policies are being implemented in practice, and how reconstruction and urban planning efforts can support safer, more sustainable, and more liveable urban development over the long term.]
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