The indicator is a state indicator that indicates the erosion-pronezones and the degree of erosion. Turkey is highly vulnerable to erosion due to its geographical location, climate, topography, geological structure and soil characteristics. However, man’s improper interference with nature and overuse of natural resources further exacerbate erosion.

Studies on monitoring and evaluation of water and wind erosion on the soils of Turkey were initiated by the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion and advised by Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture. In this context, two predictive models named “Dynamic Erosion Model and Monitoring System” (DEMİS) and “National Dynamic Wind Erosion Model and Monitoring System” (UDREMİS) were developed.

According to the data obtained using the Dynamic Erosion Model and Monitoring System, a maximum of 642 million tons of soil are displaced annually by water erosion. On average, 8.24 tons of soil per hectare are displaced annually by water erosion. If this amount is classified according to the area of our country, the distribution is percent 60.28 as very low, percent 19.13 as low, percent 7.93 as moderate, percent 5.97 as severe and percent 6.7 as very severe.

When examining the equality parameters, percent 14.26 precipitation, percent 3.36 soil, percent 47.55 topography and percent 34.82 vegetation are responsible for the spatial and quantitative changes of soil loss in our country.

Looking at land use, percent 38.71 of the displaced land in our country is agricultural land, percent 4.17 is forest land, and percent 53.66 is pasture land^[60].

The amount of suspended soil in our rivers is measured by stations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works. According to the measurement results, 154 million tons of soil are transported through our rivers. This means that about 2 tons of soil per hectare per year are transported through the rivers.

 

TABLE 15 - AREAS AND SEVERITY GRADES OF WATER AND WIND EROSION

ERZ – EROSION SEVERITY GRADE		AREA (million ha)
WATER EROSION	Slight	387
	Light	123
	Moderate	51
	Severe	38
	Very Severe	43
WIND EROSION	None	3.56
	Slight	6.78
	Light	1.99
	Moderate	2.36
	Severe	0.95
	Very Severe	1.49

Source: General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion 2019

 

GRAPH 100- DISTRIBUTION OF WATER EROSION GRADES

 

GRAPH 101- DISTRIBUTION OF WIND EROSION GRADES

The Basin Monitoringand Evaluation System(HIDSproject),carriedoutincollaboration with TUBITAK and the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion, determined 7 main criteria as part of the work package to create the Desertification Model and Vulnerability Map of Turkey. For these seven main criteria, 48 indicators and 37 sub-indicators were defined. Criteria are ranked in order of importance as Climate, Water, Soil, Land Cover and Land Use, Topography and Geomorphology, Socio- economics and Management.

TABLE 16- CRITERIA AND INDICATORS OF THE DESERTIFICATION MODEL OF THE TURKEY

Category (Criteria)	Number of Variable/Parameter/Index/Indicator
Climate	10
Water	3
Soil	10
Land Cover and Land Use	2
Topography and Geomorphology	6
Sosyo-ekon Socio-economics	7
Management	10
Total Criteria	48

HARİTA 5- DESERTIFICATION RISK MAP OF TURKEY

Source: Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, General Directorate of Combating Desertifica- tion and Erosion, 2021

In a general assessment according to the Desertification Risk Map, one of the most important studies on desertification and land degradation in Turkey, percent 22.5 of Turkey is highly sensitive to desertification, percent 50.9 is moderately sensitive, and percent 18 is slightly sensitive. Turkey is susceptible to desertification. percent 8.6 of Turkey’s area belongs to the other area classes (1750 m and higher, ‘Glaciers and Permanent Snow’, ‘Rocks’ and ‘Areas with Sparse Vegetation’).

In the Desertification Sensitivity Map ofTurkey, which was prepared in accordance with the desertification criteria and indicators established in the Desertification Model of Turkey at the national level, the percentage distribution of desertification sensitivity in each basin was determined in detail. Looking at the Turkey’s large hydrological basins, at least percent 15 of all river basins, with the exception of the Aras, Western Black Sea, Konya Closed, Marmara and Meriç-Ergene basins, belong to the moderate to severe desertification sensitivity combination group. The basins predicted to have severe to slight sensitivity to desertification over at least percent 15 of their land are as follows: Akarçay, Burdur, Büyük Menderes, Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Black Sea, Fırat-Dicle, Konya Closed, Kızılırmak, Küçük Menderes, Sakarya and Seyhan.Although the percentages are slighter, severe to moderate desertification sensitivity was found on at least percent 5 of the area of all basins only in the Akarçay, Burdur, Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Black Sea, Fırat-Dicle, Konya Closed, Kızılırmak, Sakarya and Seyhan basins.

The project “ Desertification Model of Turkey” is to be extended to the countries of Central Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean region with a holistic and interdisciplinary approach^[61].