A study on local people's perception of conservation in protected areas: The case of ihlara valley

This thesis investigates how the coexistence of multiple conservation statuses in the Ihlara Valley impacts the local community's daily life, socio-cultural and economic activities, as well as their perceptions of and participation in conservation processes, by revealing the institutional and administrative challenges encountered in planning and conservation practices. Although conservation policies shaped within multi-actor governance models aim to ensure the sustainable protection of natural and cultural heritage, their implementation on the ground often gives rise to various socio-economic and managerial problems for local communities. In the case of the Ihlara Valley, the presence of overlapping conservation statuses complicates the establishment of administrative coherence due to fragmented planning processes, a lack of inter-institutional coordination, and ambiguous distributions of authority. This situation reduces the effectiveness of conservation practices and undermines the trust relationship between local residents and public institutions. Moreover, the legal and administrative restrictions imposed by these conservation statuses directly affect the traditional land-use practices and livelihood strategies of the local population, leading to transformations and tensions in their ways of life. Against this backdrop, this study aims to explore the knowledge levels of the Ihlara Valley's residents regarding the existing conservation statuses, their perceptions and attitudes toward conservation policies and planning processes, their degree of participation in decision-making mechanisms, and their assessments of the problems they encounter. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, surveys, and discussions with relevant institutional representatives, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the social dimensions of conservation processes. The findings indicate that the local community predominantly perceives conservation statuses as restrictive and exclusionary mechanisms. However, they also seek to benefit from these processes through alternative economic models such as ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, and cultural heritage-based entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, bureaucratic obstacles encountered during the implementation of conservation policies, uncertainties regarding property rights, and limited involvement in decision-making processes foster a critical distance between the community and conservation initiatives. By centering on the perceptions, attitudes, and expectations of the local population in multi-layered conservation areas, this thesis offers recommendations aimed at enhancing the social acceptability and administrative sustainability of conservation policies. Ultimately, the study aspires to inform the planning and management of similar natural and cultural heritage areas in Turkey, drawing on insights derived from the case of the Ihlara Valley.