Political Ecology From Below: Farmers’ Policy Proposals in The Burdur Lake Basin, Türkiye

This article examines farmers’ evaluations of water governance and bottom-up policy proposals in the Burdur Lake Basin, one of Türkiye’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Drawing on survey and interview data collected across multiple villages, the study investigates how smallholder farmers assess existing state support mechanisms, including subsidies for fuel, fertiliser, and irrigation, and how they articulate critiques regarding the centralisation of decision-making, inadequate monitoring of groundwater extraction, and limited responsiveness of current policies to local realities. The analysis foregrounds farmers not as passive recipients of environmental stress but as active political agents who generate locally grounded reform agendas. Their proposals include phasing out flood irrigation in favour of drip and sprinkler technologies, strengthening cooperative-based water infrastructures, reducing agricultural input costs, and introducing incentives to sustain rural livelihoods. Rather than measuring the biophysical impacts of climate change or cataloguing adaptation strategies, the article situates these proposals within a political ecology framework that highlights the relational dynamics of power, governance, and agency. By cantering “politics from below,” the study contributes to debates on participatory water governance and argues that incorporating farmers’ critiques and proposals is crucial for building equitable and resilient agricultural futures in semi-arid regions.