Determination of the perceptions and thoughts of agricultural producers and industrial operators about environmental problems (TR83 region research)

In this study, it was aimed to determine for environmental problems the perceptions and thoughts of agricultural producers and industrial operators in Tokat, Samsun, Çorum and Amasya provinces in the TR83 Region, to measure their awareness and to increase their sensitivity on environmental protection. In order to investigate the negative effects of industrial facilities and agricultural production on agricultural lands, underground and surface water and air in the region, places open to pollution effects were selected from the provinces of the region due to their proximity to surface waters and industrial facilities. According to this, a total of 373 surveys were conducted, 90 agricultural producers from Tokat province, 107 ones from Samsun province, 88 ones from Çorum province and 88 ones from Amasya. A total of 156 surveys were conducted with industrial operators, 46 ones in Tokat, 49 ones in Samsun, 40 ones in Çorum and 21 ones in Amasya. In the study, descriptive statistics such as arithmetic mean and frequency distributions and, factor and binary logistic regression analysis were applied. The situation perceived as an environmental problem by agricultural producers stands out as surface water pollution, and industrialization is seen as the reason for this. As water pollution causes soil pollution, agricultural production areas are also polluted. This situation even causes the development of skin diseases such as warts and fungi on the hands of agricultural producers. According to industrial operators, the main problem is domestic waste and septic tanks, and unplanned urbanization is seen as the cause. Therefore, measures should be taken urgently for the factors that cause water pollution and irregular urbanization. Also, a development model based on agriculture and industry, which prioritizes environmental awareness, should be implemented and continuous trainings should be given to agricultural producers and industrial operators by the relevant organizations in order to increase their awareness.