Minister of Family and Social Services Göktaş attended the event titled "Accelerating the Use of Disaggregated Demographic Data in Climate Policy Frameworks", held in Likya Hall in cooperation with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Statistics, Economic and Social Research and Training Center (SESRIC), within the scope of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Antalya. In his speech here, Göktaş said that temperature increase, emissions and disaster risks are carefully considered when evaluating climate change, but it is at least as important to see who these risks affect most and to what extent.
Stating that effective policies start with reliable information, therefore they see disaggregated demographic data as an indispensable tool for climate action, Göktaş stated that what makes demographic data valuable is the two-way relationship between climate and population. Göktaş emphasized that climate change transforms the demographic structure of societies and stated that according to the World Bank's predictions, 216 million people may be forced to relocate within their own country by 2050 due to climate change. Pointing out that this mobility has reshaped many aspects of social life, from the decline of the rural population to the rapid growth of cities, from household structures to care arrangements, Göktaş said: "The structure of the population determines how climate risks will be felt. The same heat wave has different consequences in a city with a young population, and another in an aging society. The same drought can turn into an economic shock in a region that makes its living from agriculture. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, today there are 3 billion 300 million to 3 billion people in the world." "600 million people live in conditions that are highly vulnerable to climate change. This vulnerability varies greatly according to age, income, household structure and location. Thanks to disaggregated data, we can determine in which regions these differences are concentrated and what kind of intervention is required. Otherwise, we will try to manage a changing society with yesterday's map."
"WE ARE EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WOMEN"
Stating that climate-related disasters directly affect the living conditions, livelihoods and care arrangements of families, Göktaş noted that social protection systems should be developed in a structure that can foresee risks and respond to needs quickly. Stating that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they have addressed the new needs arising from climate change with a human-oriented social policy approach, Göktaş continued: "In this context, we are examining the effects of climate change on women with a field research we conduct. We aim to reflect the findings we obtain from the research to our policies for the empowerment of women. In addition, we analyze the social structure and needs of the regions with our social risk maps. In these maps, we also evaluate domestic and international migration movements among the social risk indicators. The population that can be caused by climate change." "These movements will be reflected in our social risk maps through these indicators. Thus, we will be able to more closely monitor the effects of migration on family structure, social service needs and local vulnerabilities. In the light of this data, we will strengthen our capacity to plan our social services according to changing demographic conditions. In the Decade of Family and Population, we will shape our family policies according to the needs of the future, taking into account the changing population structure." Minister Göktaş stated that today countries collect climate and population data with different methods and indicators, therefore they need to develop common standards in data collection methods and strengthen information sharing between countries.
"CLIMATE RESILIENCE SHOULD BE CREATED NOT ONLY AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT BY TAKING PEOPLE AT THE CENTER"
OIC Deputy Secretary General for Science and Technology Aftab Ahmad Khokher said that disaggregated demographic data is not only a statistical tool but also a fundamental basis for climate justice, inclusive policy making and effective climate action. Khokher stated that the availability and systematic use of reliable demographic data will strengthen the development of evidence-based and target-oriented climate policies, social inclusion and equality. Stating that for the OIC, this issue is a matter of both effective policy making and solidarity, Khokher said: "In our member countries, drought, floods, extreme heat and other climate pressures affect livelihoods, health, food and water security. However, these consequences do not affect all segments of society equally. Women and children, the elderly, disabled people, displaced communities and people living in underserved regions may face different and intersecting vulnerabilities. Therefore, climate resilience is focused not only on infrastructure but also on people." "More qualified demographic information helps us see the human realities behind climate statistics and develop more accurate, fair and accountable solutions."
