Climate change and agriculture sector: Climate change perception and adaptation strategies of Mudurnu district farmers

Climate change directly affects the life on Earth. These effects arise as a result of natural factors and human factors. It is not possible to completely eliminate these effects, but it is necessary to reduce human-induced effects or to harmonize them with the natural environment. Climate change mitigation or adaptation policies are important for all sectors, especially the agricultural sector. In the thesis, a survey was conducted on the mutual relationship between the agricultural sector and climate change. It was aimed to conduct the survey face to face with 400 farmers in Mudurnu district of Bolu province. With the findings of the survey, it was desired to find out what the farmers thought about the differences in temperature and rain levels, the irrigation methods they used and the level of impact on climate change, and what measures they would take to mitigate or adapt to the effects of climate change. In line with the climate change mitigation or adaptation policies, which is the main problem of the thesis and the survey, within the scope of the policies aimed to be implemented by the state, the willingness of the farmers to pay this tax was tried to be determined in case a tax is imposed on the farmers. It has been found that he does not want to be under a tax burden. The farmers stated that the most important reason for their unwillingness to pay was high input costs and insufficient support. Farmers earn low incomes because of high input prices, and as a result of the lack of working areas that can generate income other than agriculture and their continued use of non-environmental irrigation methods, it prevents the harmonization of the effects of climate change. As a result of the study, it is seen that the farmers have knowledge about climate change and adaptation. It is obvious that the policies that policy makers will determine for mitigation or adaptation to the effects of climate change in the agricultural sector must be understandable, accessible and applicable by the farmers.