Forest fires on Türkiye’s Sandras Mountain

Tensions Between Centralised Management and Local Response

Bibliographic Data

ID7172113
AuthorsNihan Bozok (0000-0002-8217-4711, Sociology Department, Istanbul Beykent University), Mehmet Bozok (0000-0002-9841-6324, Maltepe University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume46
Issue9
Pages1039-1058
Publication date2025-06-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThird World Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0143-6597 • E-ISSN: 1360-2241
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01436597.2025.2514571
OpenAlexW4411380506
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited50

Mega forest fires ravaged Türkiye’s Western Mediterranean region, leading to significant ecological and human losses in two weeks from July to August 2021. Sandras Mountain in Muğla was a major hotspot. This study investigates the research question ‘In what ways do discrepancies between socio-cultural relations and the administrative context influence the dynamics of forest fires, especially concerning the country’s remote forestry system and local responses to the disaster?’ The data is collected using qualitative methodology, through interviews and participant observations in 2021, with follow-up research in 2022 and 2023. The research findings indicate that the centralised forest paradigm excludes local actors and has been largely insufficient in fire management. Reducing fire damage also depends on local communities’ knowledge of the terrain and fire dynamics. Improving disaster response outcomes requires integrating local expertise and engaging with the community in fire response and mitigation strategies

Economics · Environmental resource management · Geography · Political science · Fire effects on ecosystems · Forestry · Plant and Fungal Interactions Research

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