Effect of land consolidation projects on carbon footprint the case of Konya Altınekin

Agriculture is a significant sector that is both affected by and contributes to climate change. The widespread adoption of agricultural mechanization, driven by advancing technology, leads to increased energy usage and fuel consumption. This increase contributes to the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thereby causing climate change. Since tractors, combines, and other mechanization equipment operate on fossil fuels, these machines contribute to the increase in CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions can be reduced with a viable and effective land management policy. Land Consolidation (LC) projects, a form of land management, are also an important tool that can be used to reduce CO2 emissions. In this context, as a result of LC projects, the number of parcels per enterprise, and average parcel size increases, parcel shapes, and sizes become suitable for agricultural mechanization. These projects also reduce the distance between the enterprise and the land while changing the road network. These factors support the creation of a sustainable agricultural system by reducing the fuel consumption and lowering CO2 emissions. In this thesis, the effect of land consolidation projects on carbon footprint is investigated. The carbon footprint is an indicator of CO2 emissions and provides guidance for the reduction of CO2 emissions. In this context, calculations were conducted utilizing the road network in Akçaşar, Borukkuyu, and Yenikuyu neighborhoods located in the Altınekin District of Konya Province, which is considered as a granary. The distances and fuel consumption amounts between the enterprise center and land before and after AT were calculated for all enterprises. Using the calculated fuel consumption amount, carbon emission values were calculated using the Tier 1 method from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodologies, and carbon equivalence was calculated using the second method. The study's findings reveal that the amount of CO2 emissions reduced by 32% in the Akçaşar Neighborhood, 25% in the Borukkuyu Neighborhood, and 30% in the Yenikuyu Neighborhood. In terms of carbon equivalents, there was a reduction of 940,57 kg CO2 in Akçaşar Neighborhood, 129,64 kg CO2 in Borukkuyu Neighborhood, and 691,75 kg CO2 in Yenikuyu Neighborhood. As a result, this study shows that LC projects reduce the carbon footprint, contribute positively to ecology, and support sustainable agriculture systems.