PEASANTSÕ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR TOWARD DESERTIFICATON: The Case of Konya/Karapõnar and Eskisehir/Keskin

Desertification is the land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic and human activities. Water and wind erosion, decreasing biological, chemical and physical characteristics of land are the factors that determine degradation in the long process. In addition to this process, over-cultivation which causes depletion of nutrients in the soil, over-grazing by animals on fragile range lands, excessive cutting of fuel wood in dry lands and inappropriate irrigation practices that result in salinization of agricultural land have been discussed among the reasons and the indicators of desertification. Although experts discuss the causes and indicators of desertification, with respect to policies and strategies towards the mitigation desertification; it is important to examine peasantsÕ view towards desertification problem who live in desertification risk areas. The main purpose of this study is to examine peasantsÕ knowledge, attitude, behaviour towards desertification problem who live in desertification risk areas. In addition, it is examined whether there is being difference among womenÕ and menÕ attitudes towards this problem.