Importance of integration of public participation into environmental management

Abstract

Technical approaches such as wastewater treatment technologies and other pollution prevention methods have generally been considered as the means of improving the environmental conditions in a basin. However, generation and prevention of environmental pollution in a water basin is principally based on socio-economic structures and environmental awareness of the basin population. This study was conducted to integrate a social approach based on basin population and environmental awareness with the classical environmental management approach. The region of study Küçükçekmece, is a precious natural system with the Küçükçekmece Lagoon, its basin and a variety of endemic species. In addition, it is a cosmopolitan social system which is a representative of Turkey’s population suffering heavy pollution due to mismanagement. The method of study was such that preliminary face-to-face interviews and open ended questionnaire were followed by development and evaluation of closed ended questionnaire. Analysis of results showed that the basin generally consisted of people who have low level of education and income. According to these people, environment is mostly defined as ‘people’ such as friends and neighbors. The perception of environmental pollution and problems by five senses was found to be an important factor for the identification of these problems. Within environmental qualifications, ‘environmental attitude’ was the main indicator in the level of environmental awareness of local community in Küçükçekmece. It is followed by ‘system knowledge’ and ‘indigenous knowledge’. Primary school graduation and middle age are the socio-economic characteristics of the people who have the highest score in system knowledge, indigenous knowledge and environmental attitude queations.