Mehmet Levent Kurnaz is a physicist specialized in climate science and a professor at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul. He worked as a Mercator-IPC Fellow from September 2013 to end of August 2014. The title of his project was “Investigation of the Impacts of Climate Change to the Mediterranean Basin Using Regional Climate Modelling.”
In 1994, he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a PhD degree in physics. After working at Tulane University as a post-doctoral researcher, he became a member of the Physics Department at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, in 1997. His research focuses on sand motion, regional climate modeling, and the impacts of climate change. Kurnaz’s engagement is based on the premise that climate research starts with global climate modeling where major research centers with immense computing power simulate the whole globe with low resolution. Other researchers then take the output of these simulations and increase the resolution to better model the characteristics of the climate of particular regions.
As an IPC-Mercator Fellow, Kurnaz investigated the impacts of climate change on the Mediterranean basin using this kind of regional climate modeling. As Turkey lies in one of the regions that will be affected severely by climate change, he plans various activities to increase climate awareness in Turkey, including public lectures, viral videos, blog posts, and newspaper articles.
Coal Report: Turkey's Coal Policies Related to Climate Change, Economy and Health
Senior Scholar Ümit Şahin, İstanbul Technical University Faculty Member Ahmet Atıl Aşıcı, İstanbul Kemerburgaz University Faculty Member Sevil Acar, Ege University Faculty Member Ali Osman Karababa, Boğaziçi University Faculty Member Levent Kurnaz and Beykent University Faculty Member Pınar Gedikkaya Bal’s report Coal Report: Turkey’s Coal Policies Related to Climate Change, Economy and Health was published in April 2016.
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Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Climate, Tourism and Recreation – CCTR2015
2014/15 Mercator-IPC Fellow Osman Cenk Demiroğlu, 2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellow Mehmet Levent Kurnaz, Chris R. de Freitas and Daniel Scott's report Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Climate, Tourism and Recreation – CCTR2015 was published on September 17, 2015.
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Climate Change and Drought
Climate Change Cluster Coordinator and Senior Scholar Ümit Şahin and 2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellow Levent Kurnaz’s report Climate Change and Drought (İklim Değişikliği ve Kuraklık) was published in October 2014.
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Drought in Turkey
2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellow Levent Kurnaz’s policy brief “Drought in Turkey (Kuraklık ve Türkiye)” was published in April 2014.
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Contemporary Developments in Climate Change: IPCC 2013 Report
Climate Change Cluster Coordinator and Senior Scholar Ümit Şahin, Middle East Technical University Faculty Member Murat Türkeş, 2012/13 Mercator-IPC Fellow Ömer Lütfi Şen, 2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellow Levent Kurnaz's report Contemporary Developments in Climate Change: IPCC 2013 Report (İklim Değişikliğinde Son Gelişmeler: IPCC 2013 Raporu) was published in December 2013.
Click here to download the document in Turkish.
“Salgın ve Toplum” Webinar Series: “Sıcak Dalgaları ve Kutuplaşan Dünyada İklim Hareketinin Geleceği”
July 6, 2020
Climate Change is caused by our lifestyles: What is Climate Change Video Series 8
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz discusses the topic of "Climate Change is caused by our lifestyles."
Why is Climate Change a Global Problem?: What is Climate Change Video Series 7
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz answers the students' question of "Why is Climate Change a Global Problem?"
Does Climate in Turkey Change?: What is Climate Change Video Series 6
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz answers the students' question of "Does Climate in Turkey Change?"
Can We Predict How Climate Will Change?: What is Climate Change Video Series 5
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz answers the students' questions of "Can We Predict How Climate Will Change?" and "How can you Predict Climate Change?"
What are the Effects of Climate Change?: What is Climate Change Video Series 4
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz answers the students' question of "What are the Effects of Climate Change?"
What is Greenhouse Effect?: What is Climate Change Video Series 3
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz answers the students' question of "What is Greenhouse Effect?"
What is Climate Change? What is Climate Change Video Series 2
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz answers the students' question of "What is Climate Change?"
What is the Weather?: What is Climate Change Video Series 1
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
In this video, Prof. Dr. Levent Kurnaz answers the students' questions of "What is the Weather?" and "What is the Climate?"
"What is Climate Change?" Introductory Video
Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative prepared online training video series titled "What is Climate Change?" as a secondary training material which also includes extracurricular activities for the middle school and high school students.
“Salgın ve Toplum” Webinar Series: “Sıcak Dalgaları ve Kutuplaşan Dünyada İklim Hareketinin Geleceği”
IPC organized the webinar Salgın ve Toplum - “Sıcak Dalgaları ve Kutuplaşan Dünyada İklim Hareketinin Geleceği” with the participation of Levent Kurnaz, Ömer Madra, Senem Aydın-Düzgit and Ümit Şahin on July 6.
Please click here for the event.
Istanbul Climate Forum
IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative took part at Istanbul Climate Forum (İstanbul İklim Forumu) which was held on November 12-13, 2015 at Boğaziçi University, Garanti Cultural Center.
Recent Developments in Climate Change
IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative convened a panel discussion titled “Recent Developments in Climate Change” on October 7, 2013 with the participation of Murat Türkeş, Mercator-IPC Fellow Levent Kurnaz, Mercator-IPC Fellow Ömer Lütfi Şen, Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow Ömer Madra as speakers and Climate Studies Coordinator Ümit Şahin as a moderator.
Welcoming of the 2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellows
Welcoming of the 2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellows took place on October 7, 2013 at Cezayir Restaurant. Welcoming remarks were given by IPC Director Fuat Keyman and Stiftung Mercator President Bernhard Lorentz.
In the panel organized under the framework of welcoming event; IPC Executive Board Member and Brookings Institute Vice President Kemal Derviş, École des hautes études en sciences sociales Professor and Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow Nilüfer Göle, 2013/14 Mercator-IPC Fellow Kerem Öktem, Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow and Former Member of the German Parliament Ruprecht Polenz and IPC Director Fuat Keyman had a discussion titled “Turkey in Europe: Living Together and Democratization.”