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Uygar Özesmi

Uygar Özesmi

Environmental scientist, social entrepreneur, and prosumer economy advocate

uygar
Istanbul, Turkey
Joined February 2026
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Summary

Uygar Özesmi is a highly accomplished environmental scientist and social entrepreneur, dedicated to fostering a harmonious relationship between society, economy, and nature. He is an Ashoka Senior Fellow and has founded numerous organizations and initiatives, including Good4Trust.org, which aims to create a 'prosumer economy' for ecological and social justice. His work spans over 30 years, impacting millions of individuals. uygarozesmi+3
Özesmi has a strong academic background in environmental science and conservation biology, holding an MSc from Ohio State University (Fulbright Scholar) and a PhD from the University of Minnesota (MacArthur Scholar). He founded the Environmental Engineering Department at Erciyes University and has numerous scientific publications, often utilizing innovative methods like Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping in ecological modeling. uygarozesmi+4
He is a prominent figure in civil society and environmental activism in Turkey and internationally. His leadership roles include Executive Director of Greenpeace Mediterranean, General Director of TEMA Foundation, and Director for Eastern Europe and West Asia at Change.org. He was also a founding member of the Civil Society Development Center (STGM) and served on the Board of CIVICUS. uygarozesmi+2
Beyond organizational leadership, Özesmi is actively involved in practical initiatives for sustainability, such as founding KusBank.org, Turkey's first citizen science platform for bird observations, and building an award-winning, off-the-grid, zero-carbon house that harvests rainwater. uygarozesmi+3
Özesmi is also a communicator and educator, teaching Sustainable Energy and Ecological Economics at Kadir Has University, contributing to numerous popular articles, publishing three books, and hosting a daily radio program, 'Gezegenin Geleceği' (Future of the Planet), on Açık Radyo. uygarozesmi+2

Work

Education

Projects

Writing

Range of the Greater Flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus, metapopulation in the Mediterranean: new insights from Turkey

January 1, 2007

A scientific publication on Greater Flamingo populations, providing new insights into their metapopulation dynamics in the Mediterranean region based on research in Turkey.

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A Generic Shallow Lake Ecosystem Model Based on Collective Expert Knowledge

January 1, 2006

This paper describes the development of a generic shallow lake ecosystem model using fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) by augmenting individual cognitive maps from scientists.

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Ecological models based on people's knowledge: a multi-step fuzzy cognitive mapping approach

January 1, 2004

A scientific publication co-authored by Uygar Özesmi, detailing the use of fuzzy cognitive mapping to develop participatory ecosystem management plans, specifically for Uluabat Lake, Turkey.

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Contested Waters: Conflict, Scale, and Sustainability in Aquatic Socioecological Systems

January 1, 2002

A scientific paper contributing to an interdisciplinary perspective on complex social processes that transform aquatic ecosystems and lead to conflicts over water resources.

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Modeling Spatial Dependencies for Mining Geospatial Data

January 1, 2001

A research paper focusing on efficient tools for extracting information from geospatial data, crucial for decision-making based on large spatial datasets.

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Prosumer Economy in Practice: Building a...

A publication from ResearchGate, indicating his work on the practical application and development of the 'Prosumer Economy' concept.

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Gezegenin Geleceği (Future of the Planet)

A daily radio program on Açık Radyo hosted by Uygar Özesmi, covering environmental and ecological topics, including climate change, biodiversity crises, and sustainable practices.

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