Participating local partner institutions:
Almost all desertification related governmental and non-governmental organizations together with many experts from various universities are involved in the DESIRE project.
Eskişehir Osmangazi University: Faculties of Architecture-Engineering and Agriculture, and Department of Biology involve in DESIRE with experts and laboratory facilities for various WBs. Management of the project in locale is also achieved by this institution.
Hacettepe University: Experts from Department of Geological Engineering contribute in DESIRE with mass movement and erosion modelling.
Ankara University: Departments of Biology and Landscape Engineering involve in DESIRE with two experts.
Middle East Technical University: Some jobs related with remote sensing and GIS in the project will be held by an expert from this institution.
Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate: Existing geo-information data and expertise of a person in GIS-related jobs will be provided from this institution.
State Water Affairs, Eskişehir Division: All applications in relation to running and ground water use in the Eskişehir region are carried out by this state organization including delivering groundwater license, dam building etc.
Provincial Directorate of Agriculture: An institution aiming at the rising of agricultural productivity by providing education services to end-users as well as by research projects.
Anatolian Agricultural Research Institute: A state institute that has responsibility to promote agriculture by specific studies ranging from particular seed production to meadow rehabilitation.
Provincial Special Management: Some of the services distributed for village development previously are actually given by this board. It is directly controlled by the local governor.
Provincial Environmental and Forestry Directorate: Local institution in the affairs of protection and rehabilitation of the natural environments.
Tepebaşı Municipality: A part of the study site lies within the boundary of this local municipality of Eskişehir city.
TEMA Eskişehir Branch: A branch of Turkish NGO for combating soil erosion, for restoration and protection of natural habitats.
Foundation for the Reinforcement of the General Directorate of National Parks and Game-Wild Life: A Turkish NGO focused on the protection of environment with its wild life.
From the viewpoint of ethnicity and languages in the study site, almost all villagers are of Turkmen origin and talk Turkish. History of certain villages such as Uludere traces back to early 14th century. Some tumulus within the study site even indicates definitely older prehistoric human settlement. Several families in the northernmost Karaçobanpınarı village are the Crimean Turks migrated during the Ottoman-Russian war in the late 19th century. According to Turkmen population they are more successful in agricultural practices in general.
