Collaboration with NGOs on Climate Adaptation

Atatürk University collaborates actively and continuously with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to design, deliver, and scale climate adaptation education, practice, and community programmes in Erzurum and the broader Eastern Anatolia region. This cooperation is institutionally coordinated through the Climate Change Coordination Office (İklim Değişikliği Koordinatörlüğü), which provides a governance backbone (coordination board, contact point, remit) for multi-stakeholder climate work that includes NGOs, municipalities, and provincial authorities. Atatürk Üniversitesi+2Atatürk Üniversitesi+2

1) Governance, mandate, and university structures that enable NGO partnerships

• Climate Change Coordination Office: Publicly listed unit with leadership and a cross-faculty Coordination Board, positioned to convene civil society partners around climate adaptation and risk reduction (e.g., water scarcity, cold-climate resilience, flood/landslide risk). Atatürk Üniversitesi

• Toplumsal Duyarlılık Projeleri (TDP) Center: University-wide community-service structure that runs term-based projects and outreach with schools, neighborhoods, and NGOs; project pages show climate-linked themes (e.g., Sürdürülebilir Su Kullanımı / Sustainable Water Use). tdm.atauni.edu.tr

2) Flagship NGO collaborations focused on adaptation

2.1. Climate-resilient cities & community engagement with TEMA Foundation

Atatürk University was a named partner—together with the Erzurum Governorship, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality, and the TEMA Foundation (Türkiye Erozyonla Mücadele, Ağaçlandırma ve Doğal Varlıkları Koruma Vakfı)—in the Erzurum Climate Action Plan process. This multi-year effort used workshops and citizen engagement to frame local adaptation pathways (cold-climate vulnerabilities, water risks, ecosystem protection) and to mobilize volunteers/community groups around plan implementation. Eski Site Atatürk Üniversitesi

2.2. “Sustainable Engineers” seminars with Sürdürülebilirlik Adımları Derneği (SADE) & Grundfos Foundation (PDJF)

The University hosted/participated in NGO-led seminars at the Engineering Faculty under the Sürdürülebilirliğin Sorumlu Mühendisleri programme—run by Sürdürülebilirlik Adımları Derneği in collaboration with Grundfos and supported by the Poul Due Jensen Foundation. Sessions emphasize water efficiency, resilient infrastructure, and adaptation in the built environment—priority adaptation domains for the Erzurum region. Instagram

2.3. Civil-society-supported campus–city adaptation projects

University pages document an ongoing “Climate Change and Resilient Cities” programme that develops adaptation-oriented design projects and public-facing solutions, creating a platform where NGOs and local stakeholders can collaborate with studios and researchers on urban climate resilience. Atatürk Üniversitesi

3) TDP (Community Sensitivity) projects with NGO interfaces

The TDP Center regularly publishes project calls and result reports; among these are projects that intersect with NGO agendas and adaptation literacy (water saving, climate awareness, waste minimization as mitigation–adaptation co-benefits) delivered to schools and neighborhood groups. Example: the “Sürdürülebilir Su Kullanımı” project and similar outreach modules that train residents and pupils on water conservation under changing climate. tdm.atauni.edu.tr

4) Co-produced knowledge, training, and early-warning literacy

• Joint events with regional agencies and civil society (e.g., webinars on water/climate with the 12th Regional Meteorology Directorate and climate-NGOs) help mainstream adaptation & early-warning literacy for the local public and professionals. The Climate Change Coordination Office is the convening unit. Atatürk Üniversitesi

• University participation in city-level climate planning with TEMA created volunteer pipelines and public information portals (e.g., “İklim Gönüllüleri” call), strengthening community-based adaptation capacity. Atatürk Üniversitesi

5) Evidence of continuity and institutionalization

• The Coordination Office lists leadership, contact channels, and a standing board—evidence of institutional continuity rather than one-off events. Atatürk Üniversitesi

• TDP maintains a public portal and project archive, signposting recurring outreach cycles that NGOs can join or amplify. tdm.atauni.edu.tr

• Municipal and provincial sources record the multi-stakeholder climate-action summit (University–Municipality–Governorate–TEMA)—a visible marker of long-term NGO–university cooperation on adaptation. Eski Site

Table — Selected NGO Collaborations on Climate Adaptation (Illustrative Portfolio)