Analysis of farmer perception and behavior towards the climate change adaptation policies: the case of Küçük Menderes Basin

Climate change generated via humankind is the most important and greatest environmental problem that has highly debated within the twenty-first century. Due to climate dependence, agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. The adaptation of the agricultural sector to changing circumstances and the formation of policies in this direction are important for the continuity of production. The aim of this study; are to determine the climate change adaptation policies for basin toward the perceptions and behaviors of the farmers and to reveal the willingness to pay and contribute of producers for these policies. For this purpose, the research was carried out in Ödemiş, Bayındır, Tire and Beydağ districts where the agriculture is concentrated in Küçük Menderes Basin, which is at risk for climate change according to the projection researchs, and face-to-face surveys were conducted with 171 farmers. In the study, factor analysis to determine the factors affecting the perception and behavior of the producers; clustering analysis in order to obtain producer groups by using the factor analysis results; and also environmental attitude inventory in determining the environmental attitude of farmers were used. In addition, in line with the opinions and preferences of the farmers, a choice experiment model was used to form a policy for adaptation to climate change and to reveal the willingness to pay for this policy. According to model results; farmers from the perspective of adaptation to climate change; stated that they are willing to pay 439.13 TL per year for the application of drip irrigation method as an irrigation method, 119.69 TL per year for the use of local seed varieties, 64.09 TL per year for the use of animal and / or green fertilizer.