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amount of rainfall leaches nutrients and makes soils acidic, which lowers crop pro-
ductivity. Lack of sunshine also adversely affects crop performance. Monoculture
of tea is attributed to this climate and soil condition. Livestock in the region is also a
very important for economic activity. In particular, cattle, dairy, and honey produc-
tion are of national importance (Japan International Cooperation Agency and State
Planning Organization the Republic of Turkey,
2000
).
As a result of the inadequacy of incomes and the limited availability of basic
services such as transportation, health services and education, many mountain resi-
dents have abandoned their mountain abodes since 1950s. Sustainable development
is needed to reduce and stop out-migration in the region.
18.3 The Eastern Black Sea Regional Development Plan
(DOKAP) and Sustainable Mountain Development
In Turkey, regional development policies have been developed in the quest to elimi-
nate regional disparities, to accelerate local and regional economic development and
to enable sustainable development (Kayasü,
2006
). Regional development projects
have been designed, mainly for the less-developed regions, and regional develop-
ment policies have been developed as part of the National Development Plans,
which have been also prepared by State Planning Organization (SPO). The Eastern
Black Sea Regional Development Plan (DOKAP) is one of them (Fig.
18.2
).
The regional development plan for this region is identified as the DOKAP, abbre-
viating its Turkish name. The Eastern Black Sea Regional Development Plan has
been prepared for the Eastern Black Sea Region, one of the underdeveloped regions
of Turkey and one from which large number of people emigrate according to the
1990, 2000 census. Currently, DOKAP is a regional development plan that covers
seven north-eastern provinces extending over the mountainous area in the Eastern
Black Sea Region.
The Eastern Black Sea Development Plan was designed not only as a rural devel-
opment plan but also as an economic initiative intended to have positive social
and political consequences for urban areas. The project's main objectives were to
improve living standards and income levels so as to eliminate regional development
disparities, and to contribute to such national goals as social stability and economic
growth by enhancing productivity and employment opportunities in the rural sec-
tor (Japan International Cooperation Agency and State Planning Organization the
Republic of Turkey,
2000
).
Sustainable rural development is one of the major components of the Eastern
Black Sea Regional Development Plan which was prepared in 2000 by State
Planning Organization and Japan International Cooperation Agency. The main
objectives of the Eastern Black Sea Regional Development Plan are:
•
To develop an integrated regional development plan, providing short- and long-
term development of the Eastern Black Sea Region so as to eliminate regional
discrepancies between the DOKAP region and the other regions of Turkey,
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