Policy Frameworks Without Practice? Exploring Marine Governance and Climate Integration Challenges in Türkiye

Abstract

The marine-climate nexus has emerged as a critical frontier in global environmental governance, yet its integration into national policy frameworks remains uneven. This article examines the case of Türkiye, a middle-income country with extensive coastlines and increasing exposure to climate risks, to explore how marine and climate governance interact in practice. Drawing on 22 semi-structured interviews with experts from government, civil society, and academia, the study applies thematic analysis to identify six interrelated challenges: (1) the gap between legal frameworks and implementation, (2) crisis-based governance, (3) institutional fragmentation and coordination deficits, (4) dependence on European Union funding and external alignment, (5) societal indifference and limited marine literacy, and (6) the contested discourse of the blue economy. The findings demonstrate that although Türkiye has adopted robust legal instruments and aligned with EU standards, enforcement and institutional integration remain weak. Governance is often reactive, fragmented, and externally driven, with limited societal demand for ambitious reforms. These dynamics reflect broader patterns in global marine-climate governance but are compounded by Türkiye’s context specific political and institutional constraints. The article argues that bridging the persistent policy-practice gap will require stronger institutional coordination, investments in capacity and literacy, and reframing the blue economy as a vehicle for climate adaptation and mitigation rather than narrow economic growth. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.