Chapter 8.4 - Development and Success, For Whom and Where: The Central Anatolian Case

Abstract

Humanity’s first solution for meeting the challenge of sustaining food security was the “green revolution” that took place in Anatolia 10,000BP. Natural landscapes were reshaped, and indigenous knowledge structures were developed into sustainable socioeconomic systems that existed in harmony with the environment. The agricultural landscapes created through such human practices also provided important ecosystem services, such as soil maintenance and desertification prevention. However, the 20th century witnessed another revolution, characterized by the excessive use of commodities in agriculture. This was an economic boon for low-income farmers in dry Central Anatolia, whose income tripled, or even quadrupled, through the introduction of irrigation. Although this meant success for some stakeholders, the excessive water use caused the rapid decrease of groundwater levels, which dropped from 15 to 150m between the 1980s and 2000s. Consequently, a serious conflict between human livelihoods and sustainable groundwater management arose. Nevertheless, the drawbacks of excessive water use can be mitigated through in-depth interactions with local stakeholders and transdisciplinary learning processes, as well as by restoring the traditional land uses in the region, which were in congruence with nature.