Sustainable Management of Whey Generated from Cheese Production in the Lake Çıldır Basin and Adjacent Communities

This study has been prepared based on information obtained from field visits conducted at various times between 2006 and 2020, primarily within the Lake Çıldır Basin as well as in the provinces of Kars and Ardahan, under the coordination of the ‘Lake Çıldır Basin Conservation Plan’ project, together with data collected from local institutions and relevant literature. As is well known, whey is a highly valuable by-product formed during cheese production; however, if it is not managed sustainably, it can turn into a waste that causes severe pollution to the environment, or in other words, to the ecosystem in which it exists. Since small-scale enterprises are predominant in the settlements within and around the Lake Çıldır Basin, the processing of whey and its conversion into high value-added products is one of the major issues awaiting a solution. According to preliminary field assessments, it has been concluded that a stationary whey processing system would initially be capable of addressing this problem. In this way, an additional source of income would be provided to support the local economy and livestock production, while also protecting the ecology of the region from pollution originating from whey discharge.