PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS: THE CASE OF CUKURASMA VILLAGE IN MERSİN

Abstract

As a natural result of the development process, negative effects such as natural destruction and deterioration of ecological balance may occur. In this sense, rural areas and the agricultural sector are very important and are protected by important regulations. EIA Applications are at the forefront of these. Especially in the implementation of development projects, determining the possible damage to the environment, explaining it to the local people and public participation in this process are very important practices. On the other hand, one of the important elements in EU accession is civil dialogue, and public participation is also very important in this sense. However, the weakest link in this process seems to be the participation of the people. For this reason, this study is aimed to reveal the level of knowledge and participation of the local people in the EIA Report process prepared for the stone crushing and screening plant applied in Mersin Province Çukurasma Village. As a result of the research, the level of knowledge and participation was very limited; In this regard, it has been determined that not paying much attention to the opinions of the people is effective.