Abstract
More than half of the nonpoint sources of polluting water occur in cultivating farmlands in rural areas. Agricultural nonpoint sources are discharged from large areas of farmlands, making it difficult to collect or treat pollutants. Farmland source management is known to be the most effective, and preventive management by improving farming methods is the key to reduce nonpoint pollution. At present, more than 30% of the pollutants flowing into the rivers and lakes are nonpoint pollutants caused by agricultural activities. As a countermeasure, it is more preferable to develop and apply optimal farming management techniques for agricultural nonpoint pollution management basically than to apply existing water quality management techniques. Because of the characteristics of nonpoint source pollution, it is necessary to manage farmlands in rural areas, so the willingness and competence of the residents is most important. The purpose of this study is to analyze and understand the process of changing the cognition of residents through capacity education and survey for nonpoint pollution management in rural areas. This study conducted intensive resident competency education and examined the process of changing resident awareness through three surveys. As a result of this study, it was found that continuous education and activities for rural non-point pollution management are necessary for raising awareness of residents and managing non-point pollution effectively, showing possibility of change residents' perception.
