– Metropolitan Municipalities: Adana, Antalya, Aydın, Denizli, Gaziantep, Hatay, İzmir,

Kahramanmaraş, Kayseri, Konya, Manisa, Mersin, Muğla, Ordu, Samsun

– Provincial Municipalities: Afyon, Amasya, Aksaray, Burdur, Çorum, Giresun, Isparta, Karaman,

Kilis, Nevşehir, Niğde, Osmaniye, Sinop, Sivas, Tokat, Uşak

To improve citizens’ quality of life through the implementation and enforcement of EU environmental acquis on air quality.

Specific Objectives of the Project are

• to support the national emission management system and, in line with EU acquis, to contribute to the development of air quality and air pollution awareness in Turkish cities through a bottom-up approach within the scope of ambient air pollution
• to improve air quality in Türkiye and to raise public awareness on air quality and air pollution

Project Results:

Within the framework of the 36‑month project, the technical findings and results obtained were shared with the public at a meeting where the clean air action plans of 31 provinces were updated with the technical data gathered. The CityAir project was implemented in 31 provinces under four main components: emission inventory, modelling studies, mitigation measures, and public awareness.

To strengthen capacity in compiling and reporting emission data, activities included support for improving provincial inventories, spatial distribution, and data management. One of the main objectives was to adopt a medium‑ to long‑term perspective, evaluate the effectiveness of national/regional/local action plans, and simulate their impacts on air pollutant concentrations. In this context, an online academy training platform consisting of video sets was established.

Within the project, modelling activities aimed to enhance administrative and technical capacity in air quality modelling, to forecast and assess current and future air quality in selected cities and provinces, and to integrate air quality forecasting steps into the Ministry’s operations. Emission inventories and 2025 emission projections were calculated for 31 provinces. To provide Turkish experts with first‑hand experience and opportunities for cooperation with their EU counterparts, air quality assessment and modelling study visits were organised, offering direct contact and visualisation opportunities.

Under the third component, an Emission Reduction Roadmap was prepared to identify the most cost‑effective emission reduction measures for 31 provinces. Stakeholders from Germany, Italy, Poland, and France shared their management experiences with Turkish participants regarding measures to reduce emissions from industry and residential heating, low‑emission zones, and the impact of traffic, at local, national, and European levels. The European Commission delivered a presentation focusing on the Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, providing perspectives on European air quality policies. Representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and local administrations from 31 provinces actively participated in this event.

In the fourth stage of the project, details of multi‑stakeholder public awareness activities on air quality were presented. Over the 36‑month period, awareness‑raising activities on air pollution and air quality were organised, reaching all segments of society, including citizens, children, students, NGO staff, private sector companies and institutions, as well as the media and other relevant platforms.

With the Closing Event held on 7 April 2022, the CITYAIR Project completed its three‑year implementation period.

https://www.youtube.com/@cityairturkiye8142/playlists