**4. Situation analysis, SWOT: soil and water resources and sustainability in Turkey**

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities And Threats (SWOT) analysis is defined as the strategic planning method used to summarize the key elements of your strategic environments [63]. In fact, it is thought as the first step in the strategic planning and it helps planners to identify the strategies of achieving goals by concentrating on the key subjects [64]. The SWOT analysis matrix was explained by [65] as shown in **Table 1**. Where the questions are to be asked in the analysis to reach the planned targets are expressed clearly.


**Table 1.** SWOT analysis matrix [65].

The method, commonly used for several business enterprises, has recently been widely used in sustainable planning of environmental resources in terms of changing demands and declining resources. For example, it was used to assess the rural tourism potential in Turkey [66]. Groundwater resource potentials were also evaluated in the Zakynthos Island in terms of sustainability with the help of SWOT analysis technique [67]. In addition, for more appropriate conservation and utilization of natural resource, this analysis technique could significantly be

> used [68] for village planning. Similarly, significant strategies were proposed for sustainable farming system management based on farmers' needs by conducting SWOT analysis in rural areas of Shadervan district, Shouahtar Township, Iran [64]. Under the fragile arid and semiarid climate conditions, it is vital to make strategic planning to manage land resources in sustainable manner. As a first step for long-term effective planning in Turkey conditions, SWOT analysis was performed to draw the situation including the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as the internal and external effects on developing strategies on sustainability as given in **Table 2**.

> In light of the performed SWOT analysis for "Land resources and Sustainability in Turkey," six threats and six weaknesses were identified, and to overcome their effects, six significant

> Unfortunately, it has been assessed that the soil and water resources in our country cannot be protected by effective and comprehensive legislation. And so, reforms are needed in the existing legislation, taking into account the conservation-use balance in relation to the protection

> National scale studies such as monitoring and assessments of soil degradation types, e.g., desertification, erosion and effects of climate change and global warming on sustainable land

**5. Strategies to maintain the conservation-utilization balance for** 

**Objective: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis for "land resources and** 

**Strengths (S) Weaknesses (W) Opportunities (O) Threats (T)**

: Updating databases used in monitoring climate change and land degradation processes

: Reforming environmental, agricultural and industrial policies to establish sustainable resource use

: Preparing updated land-use plans in accordance with the needs of the ecosystem, taking into account the

: The application of dissuasive punishment to land users exceeding pollutant limit values by periodically

: Supplying an acceptable level of farm income by reducing income variability for reducing the pressure on

measuring the runoffs in terms of transported sediment-associated pollutants and water quality in the

: Planning and implementing research, experiments and extension studies related to the defining suitable land-

Strategies to Enhance Sustainability of Land Resources in Arid Regions

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72492

13

**External factors Internal factors**

**Table 2.** SWOT analysis for soil and water resources and sustainability in Turkey.

use types for the ecological conditions of the selected region

**sustainability in arid regions**

of natural resources [W2-5 − T2-4-6].

**5.1. Strategy WT<sup>1</sup>**

**sustainability in Turkey"**

**Strategies (WT)**

science-policy balance

microwatershed scale

especially marginal lands

WT<sup>1</sup>

WT<sup>2</sup>

WT3

WT<sup>4</sup>

WT5

WT<sup>6</sup>

**5.2. Strategy WT<sup>2</sup>**

strategies were recommended as outlined below.

**Objective: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis for "land resources and sustainability in Turkey"**


**Objective: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis for "land resources and sustainability in Turkey"**


#### **Strategies (WT)**

The method, commonly used for several business enterprises, has recently been widely used in sustainable planning of environmental resources in terms of changing demands and declining resources. For example, it was used to assess the rural tourism potential in Turkey [66]. Groundwater resource potentials were also evaluated in the Zakynthos Island in terms of sustainability with the help of SWOT analysis technique [67]. In addition, for more appropriate conservation and utilization of natural resource, this analysis technique could significantly be

**Objective: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis for "land resources and** 

**Strengths Weaknesses**

**Strengths (S) Weaknesses (W) Opportunities (O) Threats (T)**

O1

O2

O3

O4

O6

methods O5

obligations

: A very young farmer population that can better understand and accept environmental issues

these threats a reality?

T1

How do I overcome the weaknesses that prevent me from taking advantage of these opportunities?

How do I address the weaknesses that will make

T2

T3

T4

T5

material T6

: Increase in immigration rates and social-economic and cultural problems caused by the reduction of natural resources

: Predictions that the temperatures will increase and the irregularities in the precipitation regimes

: The risk of deterioration in soil quality due to the applied national agricultural policies

: The possible environmental risks to be encountered in the absence of science-policy coordination in legal regulations

: Placement of the perception that the unsuitable land conversions can be made to provide energy production and raw

: The risk of increasing anthropogenic pressures on land resources

: Increased supports for farmers who especially implant the best management practices

: Opportunities to access the international funds for environmental protection

: Increasing public interest for the naturefriendly production

: The development of nature-friendly new production technologies

: The development of existing policies based on the protection-use balance with the aid of contribution of new information technologies due to the necessity of harmonization process in the EU and international

**External factors Internal factors**

and arid regions

these resources

: Sensitivity for climate change and land degradation processes in terms of severe soil erosion, salinization, drought and desertification rates especially in semiarid

: The shortcomings of the law and governmental regulations for sustainable land management strategies

: Lack of reliable data on soil and water resources to protect the sustainable use of

: Increasing pollution rates of soil and water resources due to agricultural, industrial activities and energy requirements

: Unprevented land conversions due to political pressures and gaps in the legal regulations

: Lack of coordination and integration efforts between public, academic, private, governmental and nongovernmental organizations for sustainable planning of natural and human resources

W<sup>1</sup>

Opportunities How do I use these strengths to take

Threats How do I use my strengths to reduce the impact of threats?

advantage of these opportunities?

W<sup>2</sup>

W3

W<sup>4</sup>

W5

W<sup>6</sup>

**sustainability in Turkey"**

**Table 1.** SWOT analysis matrix [65].

12 Arid Environments and Sustainability

: Abundance of natural resources all over the country compared to the most severe arid regions in

: The existence of legal regulations, e.g., laws and regulations related to the soil and water protection, land-use planning, natural resource protection and rural development

: The existence of action plans to combat erosion, climate change, desertification and protect

: Adopt and approve all international conventions of environmental and biological diversity by governmental and public

: The existence of strong academicals, technical and administrative infrastructure

biodiversity

organizations

S1

S3

S4

S5

the World S2

WT<sup>1</sup> : Reforming environmental, agricultural and industrial policies to establish sustainable resource use

WT<sup>2</sup> : Updating databases used in monitoring climate change and land degradation processes

WT3 : Preparing updated land-use plans in accordance with the needs of the ecosystem, taking into account the science-policy balance

WT<sup>4</sup> : Planning and implementing research, experiments and extension studies related to the defining suitable landuse types for the ecological conditions of the selected region

WT5 : The application of dissuasive punishment to land users exceeding pollutant limit values by periodically measuring the runoffs in terms of transported sediment-associated pollutants and water quality in the microwatershed scale

WT<sup>6</sup> : Supplying an acceptable level of farm income by reducing income variability for reducing the pressure on especially marginal lands

**Table 2.** SWOT analysis for soil and water resources and sustainability in Turkey.

used [68] for village planning. Similarly, significant strategies were proposed for sustainable farming system management based on farmers' needs by conducting SWOT analysis in rural areas of Shadervan district, Shouahtar Township, Iran [64]. Under the fragile arid and semiarid climate conditions, it is vital to make strategic planning to manage land resources in sustainable manner. As a first step for long-term effective planning in Turkey conditions, SWOT analysis was performed to draw the situation including the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as the internal and external effects on developing strategies on sustainability as given in **Table 2**.
