A Geographical Perspective on Transhumance Cultures in the World

Year 2022, Issue: 45, 195 - 213, 30.12.2022

Ferdi Akbaş , Füsun Baykal

https://doi.org/10.26650/JGEOG2022-1171902

Abstract

This study focuses on transhumance as shaped by pastoral farming, rural cultural, rural economic, and geographic conditions. The main issue of this study is transhumance culture, which is at risk of transforming due to global pressures and threats. In this context, the first aim of the study is to determine which subjects are involved in transhumance culture’s transformation in the world, the second is to reveal the factors that initiate this process, the third is to introduce efforts to protect transhumance, and the fourth and final is to give examples from around the world. The study has been prepared as a thematic and descriptive compilation and is supported with spatial examples in order to add a geographical dimension. Transhumance currently faces many threats, such as aging and urbanization in rural areas, failure in rural development, migration to and from mountains, climate change, and over tourism. In addition, green, circular, and digital technologies as well as economic and political decisions have an opportunistic value for transhumance. International and national institutions have made many decisions and supported transhumance in order to protect it. As a result, this study can be expected to contribute to this with some valuable implications for Turkey by looking at the transformation of transhumance and the measures taken from a global perspective. Common global problems such as climate change, migrations from mountains, the aging population, and abandonment of the shepherd profession indicate that transhumance in Turkey, which has been in great decline, should benefit from the world agenda.

Keywords

Transhumance culture, threats, transformation, precautions, protection.

Dünyada Yaylacılık Kültürüne Coğrafi Bir Bakış

Abstract

Bu çalışma, pastoral hayvancılık, kırsal kültür, kırsal ekonomi ve doğal coğrafi koşullarla şekillenen “yaylacılık” faaliyetini işlemektedir. Çalışmanın temel problemi, yaylacılık kültürünün küresel baskılar ve tehditler karşısında dönüşüme uğrama riskini taşımasıdır. Bu kapsamda çalışmanın amacı, dünyada yaylacılık kültürünün hangi konularda dönüşüm içinde olduğunu ve bu süreci başlatan faktörlerin neler olduğunu ortaya koymak, yaylacılığı koruma çabalarını tanıtmak, onlardan örnekler vermektir. Çalışma, tematik ve betimsel derleme türünde hazırlanmış, her bölüme mekânsal örnekler eklenerek coğrafi boyut kazandırılmıştır. Yaylacılık, günümüzde birçok tehdit faktörü ile karşı karşıyadır: Kırlarda nüfusun yaşlanması, kırsal kentleşme, kırsal kalkınmada başarısızlık, dağlara göçler ve dağlardan dışarıya göçler, iklim değişikliği, aşırı turizm vd. Ayrıca yeşil ekonomi, döngüsel ekonomi, dijital teknoloji, ekonomik ve politik kararlar, yaylacılık için birer fırsat değeri taşımaktadır. Uluslararası ve ulusal kurumlar yaylacılığı korumak üzere birçok kararlar almakta, destekler vermektedir. Sonuç olarak yaylacılığın dönüşümüne ve alınan tedbirlere küresel pencereden bakan bu çalışmanın Türkiye için bazı çıkarımlarda bulunmaya katkı verebileceği düşünülebilir. Özellikle iklim değişikliği, dağlardan dışarıya göç, nüfusun yaşlanması ve çobanlık mesleğinin terk edilmesi gibi küresel ortak sorunlar, büyük bir gerileme içindeki ülkemiz yaylacılığının dünya gündeminden yararlanması gerektiğine işaret etmektedir.

Keywords

Yaylacılık kültürü, tehditler, dönüşüm, tedbirler, koruma

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