California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state and Türkiye could cooperate on wildfire management and reforestation during his COP31 visit, citing common climate and fire pressures.
Newsom pointed to their Mediterranean conditions and growing wildfire threats, Anadolu Agency reported. “I think there’s a lot to learn and a lot to share,” he told the agency.
Separately, the governor’s office said California took part in a fire-management exchange at Türkiye’s International Forestry Training Center during the visit. California shared lessons from its forest-management and firefighting work, while hearing from Türkiye and other partners, the office said.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Under2 Coalition and Türkiye’s General Directorate of Forestry hosted the session, according to the governor’s office. California co-founded the Under2 Coalition in 2015, the office said.
The center trains forestry professionals and firefighters. It also has a simulator where incident commanders can rehearse responses to fire scenarios as weather, terrain and vegetation change, the office said.
COP31 is scheduled to run in Antalya through Nov. 20, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
