Residents’ Perception of Urban Water System-Based Environmental Issues

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the level of awareness among residents living around an urban stream regarding the issues arising from the stream and the degree to which they are affected by these problems. To achieve this goal, a face-to-face questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 270 randomly selected individuals using a proportional sampling method. We measured the awareness of residents about the issues arising from the urban stream, as well as their level of impact. The research determined that the inhabitants of the region were aware of and affected by various ecological, socio-cultural, land use, technical engineering, and management issues. The most important problems of which participants were aware included the low water quality, public order problems, the existence of unsafe, unused, and abandoned parts of the city on the stream banks and in the immediate vicinity of the stream, and the presence of a foul odor. Water pollution, public order problems, visual pollution, and the presence of a foul odor were identified as the problems most affecting the participants. Solution recommendations were developed under the five main headings of the identified problems.