The evaluation of a land consolidation project by water managers in a rural area: A case study in Karacabey

Abstract

Turkish rural development policy aims to improve and maintain the working and living conditions of rural communities within a region. This goal will increase the quality of life in rural areas to keep up with the living conditions of urban areas.Land consolidation projects are the greatest opportunity and investment in rural areas to achieve this goal. Land consolidation projects affect different target groups. The most affected target group is business owners and those who use the lands of business owners. In addition, water managers at different levels of authority within irrigation areas are also among the most important stakeholders of land consolidation projects and are also affected by land consolidation.To further the success of land consolidation projects, evaluation of results and applying those evaluations to new projects are of great importance. This study investigates time-dependent changes in the opinions of water managers about land consolidation in rural areas that are directly affected by land consolidation. Accordingly, surveys were carried out 6 and 16 years after the completion of a land consolidation project with water managers in rural areas. The results of the survey were evaluated by statistical methods. The success and benefits of land consolidation are realized over time. Considering time dependent changes in the opinions and suggestions of water managers will aid the success of future projects.