IPA Beneficiary Needs Assessment
Turkey
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this
publication are the sole responsibility of the UNDP and WMO and can in no way be taken to reflect
the views of the European Union.
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
National Hazards and Disaster Risks ............................................................................................................. 4
Governance and Institutional Arrangements ............................................................................................... 7
Enabling Environment ............................................................................................................................... 7
Institutional Framework ........................................................................................................................... 8
Civil Society ............................................................................................................................................. 11
Funding and Budgets .............................................................................................................................. 12
Risk Assessment and Information Management ........................................................................................ 13
Post-Disaster Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 13
Risk Assessment ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Information Management ...................................................................................................................... 14
Early Warning Systems................................................................................................................................ 15
Capacity Development ................................................................................................................................ 16
Awareness Raising and Public Education ................................................................................................ 16
Training ................................................................................................................................................... 17
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation ............................................................................................................ 19
Preparedness for Disaster Response .......................................................................................................... 19
Crosscutting Issues ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Gender .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Climate Risk Management ...................................................................................................................... 21
Regional and International Cooperation .................................................................................................... 22
SWOT Analysis............................................................................................................................................. 24
Strengths ................................................................................................................................................. 24
Weaknesses ............................................................................................................................................ 24
Opportunities .......................................................................................................................................... 25
Threats .................................................................................................................................................... 26
Recommendations Endorsed by the National Policy Dialogue................................................................... 26
Annex 1: The South East Europe Disaster Risk Management Initiative ...................................................... 29
1
List of Acronyms
DEMP
DMI
DPPI
DRR
DSI
EU
FEMA
GIS
IMM
ISMEP
JICA
KOERI
MEF
MPWS
NGO
PMCMC
SAR
SEE
SPO
TABIS
TCIP
TEFER
TURKNET
UNDP
WMO
Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (a.k.a. AFAD)
Turkish State Meteorological Service
Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative
Disaster Risk Reduction
Turkish State Hydraulic Works
European Union
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Geographical Information System
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project
Japan International Cooperation Agency
Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute
Ministry of Environment and Forest
Ministry of Public Works and Settlements
Non-Governmental Organisation
Prime Ministry Crisis Management Centre
Search and Rescue
South Eastern Europe
State Planning Organisation
Turkey Disaster Information System
Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool
Turkey Emergency Flood and Earthquake Recovery Project
National Telemetric Earthquake Observation Network
United Nations Development Programme
World Meteorological Organisation
2
Introduction
Turkey is highly exposed to natural hazards and to earthquakes in particular; however, the ability of the
Government and communities to manage the risks related to natural hazards has improved greatly since
the earthquakes of 1999 and thus to a certain extent contained the country’s vulnerability. Turkey is a
constituent of the IPA European Union (EU) pre-accession assistance programme for the Implementation
of Joint Projects in the Field of Natural Disaster Risk Reduction and therefore this report identifies and
elaborates the general needs with respect to the further strengthening of disaster risk management in
the country.
The report covers the five priority areas of action outlined under the Hyogo Framework for Action.1 It
begins with an analysis of the enabling environment for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and then examines
risk assessment and early warning systems. The ensuing sections deal with capacity development and
education, the integration of DRR into development and the state of preparedness and response
mechanisms. The crosscutting issues covered include gender, the mechanisms for dealing with climate
change and regional and international cooperation. The report also includes an overarching SWOT
(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis and the results and recommendations from
the national policy dialogue.
The report was produced under the auspices of the South East Europe Disaster Risk Management
Initiative, on which the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO), the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Bank collaborate in
their respective areas of comparative advantage (see Annex 1 for additional details). The UNDP
component of the initiative covers disaster risk reduction in general and is aimed at building the capacity
for DRR mainstreaming and the establishment of National Platforms. This is in order to promote the
harmonisation of DRR methodologies, plans and strategies as well as to assess the needs for the purpose
of elaborating a regional strategy for strengthening DRR. The WMO component of the project seeks to
promote cooperation between the national meteorological and hydrological services, assess their needs
and develop their capacities for the acquisition, assimilation, exchange and dissemination of data and
information related to hydrometeorological hazards.
In order to create this report the UNDP and the WMO mobilised consultants to work jointly with national
consultants. These teams consulted a wide range of DRR stakeholders and the initial results were
presented for review and discussion to national stakeholders during the National Policy Dialogue that
was held in Ankara in October 2010. During this meeting the participants endorsed the report as well as
the set of recommendations that emanated from it. These recommendations comprise the final section
of this document.
The HFA, which sets the global DRR agenda through 2015, was elaborated and signed by over
160 countries during the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe, Japan in
January 2005.
1
3
National Hazards and Disaster Risks
Turkey is exposed to earthquakes, droughts, heavy rain and flooding, landslides, rock falls, forest fires,
wind and snowstorms, avalanches, heat waves and fog. Natural disasters, on average, account for one
percent of the Gross National Product when measured in terms of the direct economic losses.2
Turkey is located on three active fault lines (the North Anatolia, South Anatolia and the Aegean Graben)
and thus more than ninety-five percent of its territory is exposed to geophysical risks, including
earthquakes and their logical consequence in coastal regions: Tsunamis. In Turkey earthquakes account
for ninety-seven percent of human and economic losses originating from natural disasters, killing about
950 people per year; this places Turkey third in the world in terms of deaths caused by earthquakes.
According to seismologists, the threat exists that a major earthquake will heavily damage the Istanbul
Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) in the next few years.3 The probability of an earthquake having
disastrous consequences is increased by the high concentration of the population and the level of
economic investment and infrastructure in the four most earthquake-prone provinces: Kocaeli, Sakarya,
Bolu and Yalova (see Figure 1). If you include the next ring of affected provinces, namely Bursa, Eskisehir
and Istanbul, which are closely linked economically, you find that seventy percent of the population,
which accounts for thirty-five percent of the Gross Domestic Product and almost half of the nation’s
industrial output, is concentrated in the most highly exposed area.4 The secondary sector consisting
mainly of the automobile, petrochemical, metallurgy and textile industries is thus highly vulnerable to
disasters. The average annual direct economic losses resulting from earthquakes exceeded USD 1 billion
over the last decade. There were approximately seventy major earthquakes during the last century,
which collectively caused the deaths of 100,000 people and the destruction of 500,000 homes. The two
most significant earthquakes struck the country’s industrial and economic centre in 1999 in the Marmara
region (magnitude 7.2 and 7.4) causing 18,373 deaths, 48,901 injuries and the destruction of or heavy
damage to 311,693 residences and 46,538 businesses as well as numerous schools, health facilities,
roads, bridges, water pipes, telephone lines and gas pipelines. Up to 600,000 people were forced to leave
their homes and almost half of them were made homeless and forced to live in tents. In the aftermath of
these events the Gross Domestic Product dropped by 6.1 percent.
2
WMO - UNDP Joint Activities: National Assessment Report of Turkey.
3
Hergert and Heidbach. 2008. Earthquake Loss Assessment Features of Maeviz-Istanbul (Hazturk). Journal of Earthquake
Engineering, 12(S2):175–186, <http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100312/full/news.2010.121.html>.
4
Okay. 2005. The Risk Profile and Disaster Management System of Turkey.
<http://info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/139644/Final%20Project%20Nilgun%20Okay%202May05.pdf>.
4
Figure 1: Turkish Earthquake Zones as defined by the Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool (2009)
Landslides, rock falls and avalanches form another class of common hazards. Landslides frequently occur
in inner and eastern Anatolia, particularly in the Black Sea regions. Between 1955 and 2009 landslides
affected 5,472 settlements and killed 200 people, while around 68,300 dwelling units were relocated to
safer places. Rock falls mainly occur in the regions of mid-Anatolia and eastern Anatolia as well as in the
provinces of Kayseri, Niğde and Tunceli. A total of 2,956 rock falls, which caused the deaths of thirty-four
people and damaged 22,500 houses, were recorded between 1955 and 2007. Snow avalanches are
frequently observed in the mountainous parts of the Aegean, eastern and south eastern regions. From
1950 to 2010 there were 1,380 snow avalanches, which caused the deaths 1,420 and injury to 417
persons and damaged 6,182 dwellings.5
Parts of Turkey are regularly exposed to hydrometeorological hazards. The economic losses resulting
from floods and mudflows, as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product, historically have been high
compared to other countries in Europe and the CIS. The historical flood database for the period 1955 to
2009 provides information on 4,067 flood occurrences in Turkey, which caused 1,400 deaths and
seriously damaged 30,800 dwelling units. The provinces of Izmir, Rize, Kahramanmaraş and Trabzon were
the most affected.6
Increases in temperature coupled with decreasing precipitation have led to serious water stress. Twenty
percent of the territory, mostly situated in the southern and western parts of the country, is prone to
drought. This situation will be exacerbated by sharp increases in demand for water, particularly by
farmers. It is projected that nearly twenty percent of the surface water in some basins will be lost by
2030. Severe drought occurs periodically and was experienced in the southern regions of the country
during the spring of 1999 and 2000, causing a thirty percent reduction in agricultural production. The
primary sector can thus be identified as being particularly vulnerable to disaster. During the 1977 to 2007
period there were 69,000 incidents of forest fires, affecting 1.5 million acres of forestland. Every year
5
Avalanche Research, Development Reconnaissance and Prevention Branch of the General Directorate of Disaster Affairs
(GDDA-ARDRPB), 2009.
6 General Directorate of Disaster Affairs-Database, 2009.
5
13,000 hectares of forestland is burned.7
Figure 2: European Countries likely to experience the greatest increases
in climate extremes by the end of the 21 Century8
According to the World Bank9, Turkey ranks third in the list of ECA countries that are likely to experience
dramatic increases in climate extremes (see figure 2). The country was ranked ninth among 28 ECA
countries in terms of overall Vulnerability to Climate Change, using an index that takes into account
exposure (which is very high for Turkey), sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The results of climate change
will seriously affect land use and land coverage in the basins, while the Turkish shoreline is negatively
affected by coastal erosion and flooding. In the Mediterranean coastal zones the demand for water is
lowering the water table and this is leading to seawater intrusion in most of the coastal aquifers.
In the event of a disaster people with low income would be most heavily impacted. The poor mostly
inhabit masonry houses, which rarely withstand the impact of an earthquake and constitute forty-five
percent of buildings in the four largest cities: Adana, Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.10 Other vulnerability
factors are rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation, unsustainable land and water usage, inefficient drainage
systems and deforestation. The latter increases the already high percentage (eighty percent) of land area
currently subject to various levels of soil erosion.
7
Ministry of Environment and Forestry, 2007.
8
Baettig et al., 2007; cited by the World Bank in 2009. The index combines the number of additional hot, dry and wet years; hot, dry
and wet summers and hot, dry and wet winters projected for the period 2070–2100 relative to the period 1961–1990. As such,
countries already experiencing substantial variability and extremes are less likely to rank highly on this index
9
World bank, 2009, Adapting to Climate Change in Europe and Central Asia,
<http://www.worldbank.org/eca/climate/ECA_CCA_Full_Report.pdf>.
10
World Bank. Earthquakes in Turkey, <http://www.worldbank.org.tr/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/TURKEYEXTN/0,,
contentMDK:20169648~menuPK:361734~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:361712,00.html>.
6
Governance and Institutional Arrangements
Enabling Environment
While the legal framework for DRR has been under development since 1944 (stressing the need for
rescue, material aid and shelter prior to earthquakes) it mainly focuses on post-disaster measures. This
holds true for the “Disaster Law" of 1959 (Act No. 7269) and even today disaster management,
emergency aid and planning is still being carried out in accordance with this Law, while Act No. 12777
defines the planning rules and the roles and duties of the central and provincial public institutions. These
two Acts are complemented by several other laws and decrees issued between 1944 and 1988.11
• Law on Protection against Flash Floods (No. 4373).
• Law on Measures and Assistance to be put into effect regarding Natural Disasters Affecting the
Life of the General Public (No. 7269).
• Decrees on Fire Brigade Organisations (No. 18851).
• Decree on the Prime Ministry Emergency Management Centre and Principles of Emergency
Assistance related to Disaster (No. 88 / 12777).
• Decree on the Principles of Emergency Assistance related to Disaster (No. 88 / 12777).
The 1999 Marmara-Düzce earthquakes provided the stimulus to considerably improve the enabling
environment for DRR. A new comprehensive disaster law, incorporating prevention, mitigation,
preparedness and response elements, but still not addressing DRR in a comprehensive way, was enacted
in 2001. The Building Inspection Law (No. 4708) as well as building audits12 established the Ministry of
Public Works and Settlements (MPWS) together with the municipalities as the bodies responsible for
monitoring the construction of earthquake resistant buildings in and outside of metropolitan
municipalities. However, the municipalities often lack technical personnel able to conduct such
inspections. No similar developments have been observed in relation to risks of a hydrometeorological
nature.
A sub-group focusing on natural disasters was established within the State Planning Organisation (SPO),
which is responsible for the preparation of development plans. Natural disasters are mentioned in the
eighth development plan (2001-2006) under the item “Increasing the Efficiency of Public Services”, which
highlights the need for improved social, legislative, organisational and technical structures as well as for
continuous and systematic education activities aimed at increasing public awareness. The ninth
development plan (2007-2013) gives priority to high-risk disaster areas and rural urbanisation practices
under the item “Political Build-up and Development of Application Capabilities”. The item
“Rationalisation of Responsibilities and Authorisation Among Organisations” calls for reforms creating an
“integrated system which covers risk mitigation of disaster management and preparation response
reconstruction/recovery stages”.
In accordance with the objective of decentralisation, the latest legal arrangements regarding local
government in Turkey are the Special Provincial Administration Law (No. 5302), the Municipality Law
11
Information Report on Disaster Reduction in the Republic of Turkey.
“Building audits”, “Implementation of Building Audit Regulations”, “Building Materials” and “Building and Development in
areas which are outside of the metropolitan municipalities”.
12
7
(No. 5393) and the Metropolitan Municipality Law (No. 5216). One of the objectives of these laws is to
plan for a state of emergency as follows: “The Municipality shall make plans according to the
characteristics of the territory in order to prevent fire, industrial accidents, earthquakes and other
natural disasters and to minimise the risks of such events and prepare the teams and equipment for
action”. A procedure put into effect in 2000 regulates the participation of volunteers in the Civil Defence
Service.
Disaster related laws are developed by Parliament (which has a disaster management working group),
the SPO and several ministries, including the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MEF) and the Ministry
of Health, sometimes without proper expertise. This makes the mutual congruence and reinforcement of
the laws, particularly between development and disaster laws, difficult to achieve. Additionally, disaster
related legislation should be in accordance with the organisational structure for disaster related
institutions that has been in place since 2009.
Institutional Framework
Turkey does not have a national body responsible for the multi-sector coordination of DRR, and
its institutions are mainly oriented towards disaster response. However, disaster management has been
placed at the highest political level, directly under the Prime Ministry. This has been in effect since 2009,
when the General Directorate of Civil Defence, General Directorate of Disaster Affairs and the Turkish
Emergency Management General Directorate, all belonging to different ministries, merged to form the
new Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (DEMP). DEMP is responsible for coordinating
nearly all phases of disaster management, including DRR at the national level, and instigates the rules,
regulations and guidelines for the preparation of DRR plans at the sub-national level. Moreover, the
Presidency serves as the official HFA focal point. A focus on seismic risks is apparent in the six
departments subordinate to DEMP:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Planning and Mitigation Department;
Earthquake Department;
Recovery Department;
Civil Defence Department;
Response Department;
Department of Administrative Affairs.
In addition to these departments there are three boards situated at a higher level:
•
•
•
Disaster and Emergency Management Higher Committee;
Disaster and Emergency Management Coordination Committee;
Earthquake Advisory Board.
The MPWS is the main body responsible for the coordination of disaster response activities.13 The Prime
Ministry Crisis Management Centre (PMCMC) was established specifically to manage (natural) crisis
situations, including emergency communications services. The PMCMC is responsible for directing all
preparations and activities for prevention and mitigation and for coordinating the work of all ministries.
13
According to Act No.7269, “Measures and Assistance to be put into effect regarding Natural Disaster affecting the Lives of the
General Public”.
8
Each ministry to which reference is made in the parent law has a unit responsible for disaster
management and this complicates coordination between institutions with partial legal mandates.
Figure 3: Disaster and Emergency Management Organisation in Turkey
The reorganisation in 2009 greatly improved the efficiency of each phase of the disaster management
cycle; however, as stressed in the ninth development plan14, mandates need partial clarification, while
coordination mechanisms between the DEMP, MPWS, PMCMC and the ministries and between public
authorities and other actors remains insufficient. To remediate this problem a National Platform will be
established in 2011 as a coordination and advisory body. The Platform will aim to ensure “more effective
and multi-stakeholder studies and activities” and a rationalisation of resources. It will also coordinate the
work of the Prime Ministry, the ministries, universities and research institutes, the National Red Crescent
organisation, non-governmental organisations, professional organisations and local authorities.15
Local administration is organised in a dual fashion with appointed governors acting as agents of the
central authority in the eighty-one provinces. Vice and deputy-governors (Qaimaqams) are appointed by
the governors in the districts, together with elected municipal officials. Significant levels of responsibility
were transferred to local authorities following the 2009 reforms and DRR and disaster response now
come under the responsibility of the province and district.
The Provincial Directors for Disaster and Emergency are responsible for the coordination and
mobilisation of human, material and monetary resources inside and outside of the province (Law No.
7269). The Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorates are directly attached to the city governors and
14
Rationalisation of Responsibilities and Authorisation among Organisations.
15
Turkish National Platform 2011, <http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/national/list/v.php?id=177>. The following
local authorities are represented: the Governorate of Istanbul, Governorate of Erzincan, Governorate of Kahramanmaraş,
Governorate of Denizli, Governorate of Hatay, Governorate of Bİngöl, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Erzurum
Metropolitan Municipality, the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, the Municipality of Trabzon, the Municipality of Giresun, the
Municipality of Manisa, the Municipality of Afyonkarahisar and the Turkish Union of Municipalities and the Union of Governors.
9
responsible for risk and damage assessment, development and the application of emergency aid plans
with the help of the Provincial Search and Aid Groups and in cooperation with the Provincial Red
Crescent Units (Law No. 5902). A common problem is that provincial officials in charge of disaster
management are in most cases unfamiliar with the reality on the ground, especially as the turnover of
government officials can be high in certain provinces. Although the military plays an important role in
Turkey, the role of the Turkish Armed Forces in disaster management is limited to the coordination of
response activities and the provision of support through provincial garrisons that are in direct contact
with the governors.
At the district and municipal level officials organise disaster preparedness activities, control fire
departments, implement and monitor regulations on MPWS building standards for seismic micro-zones,
land use decisions and make preparations for the development strategies (under the provisions of the
1985 Development Law). However, the mayors and municipal bodies and not held liable for DRR
activities and come under the authority of the governors in extraordinary situations. This constitutes a
problem, as the provinces bear all responsibility while they are not involved in local DRR activities. The
IMM is a special case due to the fact that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Disaster Coordination
Centre (AKOM) was established to act as the responsible head of the fire brigades, health,
transportation, enterprises and civil defence departments when an emergency situation arises.
In order to guarantee quick response mechanisms and the creation of adaptable earthquake disaster
prevention measures the Earthquake Research Department has been integrated into the DEMP. Its
Seismology Division is responsible for maintaining the National Telemetric Earthquake Observation
Network and for analysing and managing seismological data. The two other divisions of the research
department, the Earthquake Engineering Division and the Laboratory Division, work respectively on
topics related to disaster prevention and risk assessment and information management. Although the
Bogazici University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI) operates a second
nationwide seismic network and Tsunami warning system no cooperation exists between these two
institutes.
The national hydrological and meteorological services in Turkey are of relatively high quality when
compared to other SEE countries. Three bodies are responsible for the provision of data, although the
monitoring abilities of the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works are very limited due to its 310
discharge stations.16 The meteorological service (DMS) maintains the National Meteorological
Observation Network and produces meteorological analyses, weather forecasts and warnings. The State
Hydrological Works (DSI) is part of the MEF and operates the National Hydrological Observation Network
through its twenty-three regional offices. It is in charge of the national hydrological database and the
production of annual and monthly reports as well as hydrological services to the agriculture, energy,
environment and services sectors. However, due to a lack of adequate cooperation and coordination
between the hydrological and meteorological sectors, the hydrometeorological sector does not possess
the optimal capacity to respond to the demands of developing communities. Yet some progress has been
made recently; the DMI publishes the DSI forecast on its website and uses DSI data.
16
Dogan. Hakan. Sezen. 2010. Hydrometeorological Monitoring Network in Türkiye
<http://balwois.com/balwois/administration/full_paper/ffp-2121.pdf>.
10
Civil Society
The hierarchical, top-down, nature of the disaster management system with responsible governors and
sub-governors appointed by the State tended to discourage local citizen’s initiatives prior to 1999;
however, a radical shift occurred after the Marmara-earthquakes, during the rehabilitation phase in
which more than 500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and thousands of citizens organised and
participated in search and rescue (SAR) teams. The number of non-governmental stakeholders involved
in public awareness raising and prevention, resilience strengthening and the reduction of exposure to
risks has continued to increase up to the present day. While presently there is a clear lack of coordination
the National Platform will hopefully help alleviate this problem.
NGOs established under the Law on Associations (Law No. 2908) come under the legal supervision of the
Ministry of Interior and are frequently involved in government activities, such as the preparation of
projects like the Earthquake Master Plan for Istanbul and the National Disaster Management System in
2003. Major NGOs include the search and rescue association AKUT and the Neighbourhood Disaster
Support Group (MAG). However, the Disaster Preparedness and Earthquake Training Association is the
only organisation that focuses more on disaster prevention and mitigation than on protection and
rescue. The association seeks to increase community awareness through training that covers disaster
awareness, environment and water awareness, fire prevention as well as first-aid and search and rescue
training aimed at children, families and municipalities. These trainings are certified by the Ministry of
Health.17
The Turkish Red Crescent Society (TRCS) is supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross
and the Red Crescent societies and forms an independent national organisation with strong legislative
links to the Government and funding. Apart from the conduct of public awareness and training activities
and the work of one of its five branches that focuses exclusively on disaster preparedness, it mainly
concentrates on search and rescue (SAR) activities. TRCS has “Provincial Rescue and Aid Committees”
that foster community participation through volunteers and community leaders in each province and
also has branches in most of the major cities.18
Foundations, which are subject to inspection by the General Directorate of Foundations, greatly support
the Government in terms of research, training and education activities. The Earthquake Foundation of
Turkey is particularly active in DRR, through the release of material for public training and awareness and
through the organisation of various national and international conferences.
Professional organisations include the Chamber of Geological, Geophysical and Civil Engineers as well as
the Chamber of Architects, the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Medical Doctors and the
Psychiatric Association of Turkey, the latter also works on DRR related issues.19
Representing the private sector in the National Platform are the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s
Association, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, the Turkish Contractors
Association as well as the General Directorate for Press and Information, the Turkish Association of
Journalists and Turkish Radio and Television Cooperation. All of them are engaged in DRR activities and,
17
AHDER, <http://www.ahder.org/ahderorg/english.htm>.
MPWS 2008 Interim National Progress Report on the Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action.
19 MPWS 2008 Interim National Progress Report on the Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action.
18
11
owing to the growing awareness of the correlation between disaster preparedness and the survival of
businesses, some commercial enterprises have invested heavily in business continuity services designed
to assess and then mitigate physical and or operational risks. The importance of public-private
partnerships for disaster management has been stimulated by the combination of building codes and
reinsurance rates.
Funding and Budgets
One percent of the national budget is allocated for DRR studies, in-service training, education and
awareness-raising amongst public authorities, volunteers and the population.20 The main funding
sources for disaster management activities are the SPO (a USD 10 million project for 2011), the Turkish
Research Council (R&D projects) and the General Budget (operational budget). Funding in the aftermath
of disasters comes directly from central government, for instance in the form of tents, the construction
of temporary residences and rubble clean up as well as in the form of compensation funds during the
rehabilitation phase. Yet although the Turkish State has the legal obligation (Law No. 7269) to fund the
reconstruction of buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake there is no similar legislation concerning
DRR. Also, there is a lack of information concerning the exact budgeting for these resources.
Over the last decade a significant amount of funds were provided: the World Bank provided over USD 1
billion for the improvement of infrastructure, emergency management and risk reduction; the Japanese
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)21 and the
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation contributed USD 870,000 in support of the UNDP Local
Capacity Building for Disaster Prevention Programme, while the European Commission Humanitarian Aid
Office has also contributed towards DRR in Turkey.22
Turkey enforced compulsory earthquake insurance for residential buildings on a nationwide basis in 1999
(Decree 583). To this end, the World Bank funded the creation of the Compulsory Earthquake Insurance
Authority as a separate state owned entity intended to carry out the National Catastrophic Insurance
Programme. The rates for flats are paid in accordance with local earthquake risk levels and accumulated
in the Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool (TCIP), which creates a fund that is independent of the
national budget. To date, the premium rate lies at 26.5 percent and it is estimated that the accumulation
of premiums up until now and over the next five years will be sufficient to “refund a volume of losses
similar to the total damage experienced in the 1999 earthquakes”.23 However, it should be noted that the
flow of funds for DRR is obstructed because only post-disaster compensation, the cost of damage
assessment and other disaster response costs can be covered. A Disaster Insurance Law intended to
enlarge the compulsory nature of insurance and, more importantly, the scope of the disasters covered is
currently under preparation, while the Agricultural Insurance Code (No. 5363) of 2005 is already in effect
to pre-empt the effects of climate change by providing coverage for hydrometeorological risks that
threaten the agricultural sector.
20
National HFA Progress Report of 2009 and the Information Report on DRR issued by the Republic of Turkey.
Contribution from the Target for Resource Assignment (core of USD 368,900) to support the National Programme for Disaster
Prevention, aimed at improving public awareness, training, upgrading capacities in technological preparedness and impact
mitigation.
22 Funding provided for 32 emergency and humanitarian relief projects through a contribution of 380,000 Euros for a UNDP
programme to strengthen the capacities to cope with earthquakes and a further 20 million Euros for the Marmara Earthquake
Recovery Project.
23 ULUTÜRK 2006, Local Administration and Disaster Risk Management in Turkey.
21
12
Risk Assessment and Information Management
Post-Disaster Assessment
The DEMP is formally in charge of and determines the guidelines for post-disaster assessments, which
are then applied by the Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorates in the provinces. Damage and
loss assessment methodologies are available, including procedures for the collection of information and
the calculation of compensation. New comprehensives guideline that incorporate the use of the
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and a new damage assessment form with additional technical
and administrative detail are currently under development.24 The guidelines also include plans for the
creation of a damage assessment archive. In the case of damage to buildings insured under the Turkish
Compulsory Insurance Pool the loss is assessed by trained professional civil engineers already employed
in the property insurance industry. At the local level, the IMM and the Scientific and Technical Research
Council of Turkey are currently developing a comprehensive Earthquake Loss Estimation Tool.
While the damage assessment of insured buildings usually takes less than one month the process takes
more time when it comes under the responsibility of the Government, especially as there is no
permanent budget for disaster compensation.
Risk Assessment
The DEMP is tasked with preparing multi-hazard assessments, including maps and micro-zoning mapping
studies, which are then developed at the regional level and in particular for urban areas. While the risk
assessments are both numerous and of good quality they focus primarily on geophysical hazards and on
the Marmara region. National level multi-hazard risk assessments have not been conducted to date.
Similarly, structural vulnerability assessments exist but there is a need to strengthen socioeconomic
vulnerability assessments. In addition, the standardisation of data production must be promoted at all
levels.
The hazard maps and risk scenarios below are available.
 The National Seismic Zoning Map of Turkey (Earthquake Research Department).
 Earthquake Prediction Models (Laboratory Division of the Earthquake Research Department,
developed with the support of Germany).
 GIS for assessing the potential extent of floods and the scope of earthquake related damage
based on fully digitalised nationwide geological maps25 (General Directorate for Mineral
Research and Exploration).
 Hydrometeorological hazard risk maps, which are not systematically produced over the
entire country but developed by the DMS and DSI when requested by a community.
 Forest fire susceptibility maps at the national level (General Directorate of Forestry).
24
HFA Progress report for 2010.
25
Recent Natural Disasters in Turkey: An Overview of the National Technological Capacity and Its Utilization. 2000,
<http://reliefweb.int/node/68026>.
13

Maps showing the distribution of landslides, rock falls and snow avalanches affecting
residential areas at the national level.
Owing to the high seismic risk in Istanbul, those risk assessments with higher resolution are limited to
the Greater Municipality. The DRR plan of the IMEP comprises an assessment of the current seismic risk
situation, the legal and social aspects and the regulations concerning land use, finance and education. In
order to prioritise interventions detailed vulnerability assessments for the health, education, energy and
transportation sectors and loss estimates for each district are based on different earthquake scenarios,26
developed with particular attention to the assessment of the building stock and the potential impact on
essential facilities including the emergency response centres. Landslide and soil liquefaction
susceptibility maps are available for the entire City. The disaster impact assessment software HAZTURK,
based on the American Earthquake Platform (MAEviz), has been under development since 2008 and will
provide a valuable tool for determining where to allow new settlements and investment. Eventually, the
HAZTURK programme will cover the whole territory of Turkey.
Information Management
The date, area, infrastructure and number of people affected by earthquakes, landslides, rock falls and
snow avalanches are stored in the DEMP database. The DEMP archive presently contains more than
18,000 reports. Other relevant data on floods, flash floods, forest fires and marine accidents is stored in
the relevant institutions database, yet these are far from being complete. Seismic information is
accessible for public use, while other databases can be accessed on demand via the relevant institutions.
In order to undertake a detailed mitigation study of earthquake risks in Turkey the Earthquake Source
Database (identification of seismic sources and the probability of rupture of a fault segment), the
Geotechnical Hazard Database (soil classifications and specific site characteristics, including the potential
for liquefaction, landslide and fault rupture) and the Vulnerability Database (damage ratio for different
types of structures dependant upon ground motion) contain detailed geological, geotechnical and
structural engineering data. A further 19,000 geological and geotechnical reconnaissance reports on
construction plans and micro-zoning reports and seismic hazards maps are also available.
There are currently two projects aimed at improving communication between authorities as well as
between the authorities and the public. The Turkish Disaster Information System Project (TABIS) is a GIS
and remote sensing based information standard and management model developed by the Turkish
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Istanbul Technical University. It provides a basis for emergency
management planning and practice, disaster management and loss estimation. Users, including decision
makers, will be able to access up-to-date data based on modern remote sensing techniques when
conducting the planning, mitigation, response and recovery phases of emergency management in order
to more effectively assess in advance the possible damage that an earthquake might cause.27 TABIS is
slowly being tailored to meet the needs of the municipalities and in particular to the needs of the
inhabitants of Istanbul.
26
Earthquake Risk Assessment for the Istanbul Metropolitan Area developed by Bogazici University: Earthquake Risk
Assessment for Industrial Facilities in Istanbul.
27
BİLGİ and İPBÜKER. Creating Basic Topographic Spatial Object Model for IT-ACDIS. <http://www.datamapbg.com/conference_cd/pdf/27_244_SerdarBilgi_Tu.pdf>.
14
The second project is the development of the Disaster Emergency Management Information System
(AFAYBIS) by Yildiz Technical University for the pilot area of the IMM. The e-Governance project will be
compatible with EU standards and make disaster related information available to the public via an
Internet portal. To date, the first phase of the project, during which information from fifty disaster
management institutions was gathered, has been completed.28
While all of these endeavours are commendable, attention should be paid to integrating databases
instead of continually creating non-compatible new systems that thematically and spatially overlap. To
prevent users and policy makers from getting lost amidst the great amount of information a major part
of all disaster related data, including those provided by the International Disaster Database EM-DAT, is
currently being merged into a single database, the “Turkish National Disaster Archive System”, through
funding provided by the World Bank.
Early Warning Systems
The National Telemetric Earthquake Observation Network (TURKNET) consists of 24 stations dispersed
across the country. Several Doppler radar and satellite data receiving and processing stations were added
to the programme within the scope of the World Bank funded Turkey Emergency Flood and Earthquake
Recovery Project (TEFER).29 The KOERI operated National Earthquake Monitoring Network consists of 116
broadband and 22 short period seismometers and a satellite system to support real-time
communication. Agreements with neighbouring countries provide additional data coming from 72
stations. Furthermore, KOERI is the lead agency operating the Tsunami Warning System and is expected
to provide coverage for the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea with an additional
“5 sea bottom observation systems in the Sea of Marmara, including broadband seismometers and
differential pressure meters, pressure transducers, strong-motion sensors, hydrophones, temperature
measurement devices and flow meters”.30 A tsunami model database, based on different scenarios, is
currently being developed and warnings to the population will be differentiated through information,
advisory and watch messages.
Both networks record land deformations to forecast seismic risks. While the Seismology Division
monitoring TURKNET is situated within DEMP, information coming from KOERI reaches government
institutions with some delays and therefore clear communications procedures should be developed.
With 257 hydrometeorological stations, 132 synoptic stations, nearly 500 automatically transmitting
radio sonde stations, 118 lake observation systems, 150 snow stations, 330 meteorological stations and
1,000 water quality and sedimentation measurement stations the DMI observation network is extremely
dense. The DMI further prepares short and long term weather predictions. The DSI network
comprehends 710 precipitation stations, of which 357 are currently operational and 1,176 discharge
measurement stations. Real-time data concerning flow discharges is shared with Bulgaria, while wave
28
Batuk, Emem, Alkı, Gümüay, Eraslan, Helvacı, Demir, Türk, Bayram and Alkı. Developing Turkey's Disaster Management
Standards for e-Government. <http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXV/congress/comm4/papers/339.pdf>.
29
SEBA Hydrometric, Turkey Emergency Flood and Earthquake Recovery Project, < http://www.sebahydrometrie.de/en/reference-projects/tefer-turkey.html>.
30
Ozel et al. 2011. Establishing a Tsunami Warning Center.
<http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/tsunami/images/belgeler/EGU2011_Poster.pdf>.
15
height is monitored in coastal areas with a 1 km resolution since spring 2010. The hydrometeorological
network has been further improved through TEFER. The programme was implemented by the DSI, DMS
and the Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration and procured 363 additional
fully equipped stations (hydrological and meteorological sensors, data loggers with integrated alarm
functions and satellite, modem and mobile communication data transmission) along with the required
training to run the stations, all with the aim of enhancing the early warning capability.31 A national
avalanche forecasting and early warning system is currently being created by the DSM and the DEMP.
When strong precipitation, hail, storms, cold and heat waves or flash floods are expected the DSM
disseminates warnings directly to the population through the Voice of Meteorology (website and
weather forecasts via Türksat) as well as through an SMS service for phones in hazardous regions. When
discharge measurements are above critical levels the DSI disseminates warnings via its own Internet
page and via the DSI regional directorates, who then, if necessary, warn the local city governors. In the
case of forest fire conditions, the risk of flash floods, landslides or lightning storms the DSI, DMI and the
General Directorate of Forestry inform the public via the DMI website and through the support of the
Voice of Meteorology and of METEOR FM. At the regional level, a disaster management and
meteorological early warning system and urban information system, based on TABIS, were established in
the Province and City of Rize. A flood warning system is under preparation for the IMM. To date, no
differentiation in warning levels exist, but warnings do contain advice on how the population should
react. It would be advisable to establish a 24/7 warning system directly within the hydrometeorological
services, mandates and communications routes for alerts in order to allow for advice and warnings to be
clarified.
A state of emergency can only be announced by the Prime Minister. When this is the case, the Crisis
Assessment and Monitoring Council within the PMCMC assesses the level of the emergency and alarms
the relevant Provincial Directories of Disaster and Emergencies as well as the relevant ministries through
the Crisis Coordination Council, which was established at the ministerial level. A Crisis Management
Meeting is then organised and government institutions, including the DSI and DMI, participate.
Capacity Development
Awareness Raising and Public Education
In Turkey public education on disaster preparedness and mitigation comes under the responsibility of the
central government (the Department of Civil Defence and the Ministry of National Education). Extensive
awareness raising campaigns, including 112 celebration days and campaigns that include the distribution
of DVDs and promotional material like magnets and visits to schools, are organised by the provincial
authorities within the scope of the 112 Single Emergency Call Number Project; the latter was started by
the Turkish Ministry of Interior in 2005. The Project aims to establish 112 as the single call number for
the ambulance, police, gendarmerie, fire brigade, coast guard and Civil Defence services in ten provinces
each year up until 2018.
31
A summary of the presentation given by the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkey - Recent Natural Disasters in Turkey: An
Overview of the National Technological Capacity and its Utilisation, <http://reliefweb.int/node/68026>.
16
Further activities aimed at raising awareness are carried out by the TRCS, which initiated the
Mobilisation of Community Leaders in Disaster Risk Mitigation Programme aimed at developing disaster
awareness and interagency cooperation in the local community in 2007, and the media. Television and
radio play an important role in warning the population about the gradual onset of hazards and in
disseminating public information and educational programmes that help to improve the population’s
knowledge and behaviour in the face of hazards and risks. However their low capacity to make their own
programmes reduces the extent to which the national media and broadcast services can fulfil a more
important role in raising disaster awareness.
As most of the population and economic assets of the country are concentrated within the high-seismic
risk area of Istanbul many projects aim to raise disaster awareness in the Greater Municipality. The
Earthquake Sensibility Days Project, carried out by KOERI in collaboration with the IMM since 2007, is
aimed at increasing earthquake preparedness and tackles some of the common misconceptions of the
inhabitants of Istanbul. It is intended to be a model project for other Turkish and foreign cities. The five
year Disaster Preparedness Education Project, being implemented by KOERI and Bogazici University with
the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is aimed at raising the disaster
awareness of society and the local preparedness and first response skills of organisations.
School curricula have included education on protection against earthquake risks at the primary and
secondary level (age 6 to 14) and the reasons for earthquakes, protection of the community and
mitigation and response activities at the secondary school level (age 14 to 17) since 1999. External
specialists are invited to train both teachers and pupils and evacuation exercises are carried out annually,
while the “I am Learning How to Live Safely” educational book, created by the TRCS, has been provided
to more than 900,000 primary school pupils. A three year school based Disaster Education Project was
instigated in the pilot-regions of Marmara, Bow and Duzce by the Ministry of Education under the
guidance of the JICA in 2010. By targeting school administrators and teachers the project aims to
increase the disaster education capacity of teachers to provide better training, create an interdisciplinary
foundation for disaster education and improve the disaster management systems of schools,32 thus
broadening the scope of disasters covered and supporting the creation of a systematic education
programme.
Although the educational efforts underway so far are valuable and have reached a large number of
people there is still a need to integrate and standardise the messages being given to the public. With the
exception of the IMM, local government and NGOs do not play a sufficient role in raising public
awareness, which is most likely due to their lack knowledge concerning DRR concepts as opposed to
their good knowledge of disaster response mechanisms. Training municipal staff therefore constitutes an
important step.
Training
Within the framework of regular training for provincial and district governors, the General Training
Department of the Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with the Japanese International Cooperation
Association (JICA) and Turkish universities, has initiated seminars on disaster management for
government officials. Officials are also trained through the DEMP Disaster and Emergency Training
Centre. An agreement was signed between Istanbul Technical University and the Ministry of Interior of
32
Japan International Cooperation Agency Activities in Turkey, <http://www.jica.go.jp/turkey/english/activities/activity12.html>.
17
Turkey in 2001 for four projects: (i) Training on Emergency Management, (ii) Development of Turkish Fire
Brigades, (iii) Development of an Emergency Management System and (iv) GIS Standards Based on
Emergency Management. Moreover, the University has cooperated with the Ministry of Interior's
Strategic Research Unit to develop training that is targeted at provincial and district governors. The
Turkish Emergency Management General Directorate (now integrated into the DEMP) carried out three
International Disaster Management Courses aimed at managers in government ministries, the police, the
military, emergency services, non-governmental institutions and industry in partnership with
Bournemouth University. Many new projects are currently in the start-up phase, two of them being the
National Exercise Simulation Centre at the DEMP headquarters and the Centre of Excellence for the
Training of Fire Brigades.
At the national level, “Earthquake Parks”, which are visited by nearly 250 pupils and students every
week, were built as part of the Disaster Preparedness Education Unit for Theoretical Training and
Practical Training. The 2000-2005 “To be Prepared for Disasters and Emergency Situation Project”, which
was targeted specifically at children and women, has been implemented by several ministries under the
coordination of the General Directorate of Civil Defence and through the support of UNICEF.
At the local level, many NGOs, municipalities and community self-help groups have proposed additional
training in SAR, non-structural mitigation and first-aid. The Neighbourhood Disaster Volunteer
Programme was implemented with government support by the Neighbourhood Disaster Volunteer
Association. “A total of 3,472 Neighbourhood Disaster Volunteers from 85 neighbourhoods located
within the provinces of Kocaeli, Istanbul, Yalova and Izmir completed the standard basic training
programme and signed cooperation protocols with Civil Defence”.33 Within the Istanbul Seismic Risk
Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project, the “Safe Life Volunteers Campaign” was implemented
and 15 different training modules on disaster preparedness, including one child-friendly programme,
were offered. Since 2008 26,000 people have been reached and all of the training material is available to
the public.34 All of these projects have been conducted by Beyaz Gemi Training and Consulting.35
The KOERI and Istanbul Technical University are two of the most active academic organisations working
on disaster preparedness training. The KOERI has developed many programmes and training material
including educational presentations, training books, CDs, games and films on disaster awareness and risk
mitigation, which are disseminated through NGOs and 2,200 certified trainers from within ministries and
the TRCS. Several universities offer formal programmes related to disaster risk management, often in
cooperation with foreign universities. The Earthquake Risk Mitigation Master’s Programme, which is
concentrated on engineering, urban planning and the evaluation of earthquake risks, offered by Bogazici
University and the Disaster and the Istanbul Technical University Emergency Management Masters
Programme, run in cooperation with Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University, are just two
such examples.
Continuous pressure is being exerted on local authorities to design and conduct public training and
preparedness campaigns, all of which should include field exercises. Training and education should not
be one-off events, but rather a continuous process of refresher courses and the introduction of new
information.
<www.mag.org.tr/eng/proje2.html>
<www.guvenliyasam.org>
35 <www.beyazgemi.com.tr>
33
34
18
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
Many efforts aimed at improving disaster prevention and mitigation measures can be witnessed within
the government. The MEF is tasked with the protection of surface and underground water, sea and land
environments and the prevention of pollution. The Earthquake Engineering Division established within
the DEMP continually develops building codes aimed at increased earthquake resistance and the basic
principles for the rehabilitation of structures damaged by earthquakes; these are then monitored by the
MPWS and the municipalities. The MPWS also works on the retrofitting of large scale bridges and
suspension bridges together with the JICA. In addition, the DSI and the DMI make a great contribution to
disaster prevention and mitigation through their modernisation of the flood management system and by
repairing the hydro-technical infrastructure within the TEFER project.
The shift from emergency response towards DRR can be witnessed through the Strategic Disaster
Management in Urban Areas Programme, which concentrates on geologically weak zones and
inappropriately constructed building districts and covers a range of issues, including emergency
management, infrastructure and lifelines, the superstructures of buildings, cultural/historical sites, legal
issues and training. The Earthquake Master Plan for Istanbul, prepared through coordination between
government agencies, universities, NGOs and private sector entities, is particularly detailed. Redevelopment programmes have been designed for some neighbourhoods, such as those in the
Zeytinburnu District and in the Historic Peninsula. Moreover, the Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and
Emergency Preparedness Project (ISMEP) represents a major step towards the transformation of the
IMM into an earthquake resilient city. The project, implemented by the Istanbul Project Coordination
Unit established under the Istanbul Special Provincial Administration and financed by the World Bank
and the European Investment Bank, focuses on three points: (i) Enhancing the Emergency Preparedness
Capacity, (ii) Seismic Risk Mitigation for Priority Public Buildings (including retrofitting or reconstruction
based on feasibility studies and inventories of the design of cultural and historical heritage buildings) and
(iii) Enforcement Of Building Codes.36 In May 2011 Prime Minister Erdoğan proposed a radical plan for
the construction of two new cities, one in uninhabited mining areas along the Black Sea coast on
Istanbul’s European side and the other on the Anatolian side. Yet while this project would without doubt
greatly decrease the risk of disaster to which the population is currently subject its successful
implementation relies solely on the willingness of the inhabitants to relocate on a voluntary basis.37 That
efforts to increase disaster preparedness are mostly concentrated on the IMM is understandable, yet the
rest of the Turkish territory should not be neglected.
Preparedness for Disaster Response
Disaster Emergency Relief Plans, depending on the type and magnitude of the disaster in the event of an
earthquake, exist at the provincial and district level and are updated continuously by the General
Directorate of Civil Defence and the Ministry of Interior. In order to prevent major industrial accidents in
the aftermath of natural disasters an emergency plan was developed by the MEF at the national level.
Moreover, there is the legal obligation to draw up emergency plans for each industrial facility (Circular
No. 4906 of 1996). A major problem that remains is that the preparation of regional contingency plans is
36
Balamir. 2006. Seismic Mitigation efforts in Istanbul,
<http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/RAV/conf/IDRiM06/pres/balamirpaper.pdf>.
37
Prime Minister Erdoğan Introduces Plan for “Two New Cities” in Istanbul, 2011,
<http://www.businessturkeytoday.com/pm-erdogan-introduces-two-new-cities-plan-in-istanbul/>.
19
optional. Consequently, certain areas present a low level of preparedness, while areas of fast growing
and illegal urbanisation lack emergency relief plans altogether. Plans prepared at different scales differ in
their scope and strategy and create overlaps and contradicts. This is particularly the case in metropolitan
areas, where government has charged different institutions with establishing local relief plans according
to their realm of expertise.
A stand-by operative network ready to intervene in case of disaster is constituted by well trained staff
from the General Directorate of Civil Defence, the natural disasters search and rescue battalions, regional
disaster commands and natural disaster assistance troops subordinate to the Turkish Armed Forces, as
well as a network of volunteers from the TRCS and NGOs like AKUT. Neighbourhood disaster support
centres with radio communication systems to the Civil Defence Department have been established in
provinces with high seismic risks.38 The disaster response and assistance units of the TRCS maintain
logistic depositories with stocks of tents, food and blankets in each province, airport and harbour.
Activities, including SAR, are coordinated from the TRCS Emergency Operations Centre in Ankara.
The Disaster and Emergency Response Plan for Istanbul forms the basis for an extremely high level of
preparedness within the IMM. Operations are managed from the Disaster Coordination Centre, which
has worked around the clock since 2000. The terrestrial and maritime public transportation companies of
Istanbul as well as the Directorate of Road Maintenance and Repair have established evacuation plans
that make provision for multifunctional vehicles and increased numbers of personnel. The Istanbul Gas
Service has its own state of emergency plan, while the Bread Distribution Organisational Plan makes the
production and distribution of five million high-caloric loaves of bread possible for nearly every situation.
Additionally, the IMM maintains a network of twenty emergency response stations and twenty-nine
ambulances. Temporary settlements have been delimited and a stock of portable showers and toilets
have been attached to the water and sewage system, while a stock of medicine and 2,500 emergency aid
kits have been produced. Drinking water studies were completed and a list of civilian owners of drinking
water tanks prepared.
On the other hand, early recovery constitutes the weak point in Turkey's disaster management system. It
often results in a combination of short-sighted isolated actions aimed more at reaching the highest
possible level of visibility than the provision of a basis for sustainable long-term recovery. There is a lack
of human resources, encompassing framework and mode of coordination between public and civil
organisations, which often leads to the duplication of efforts and a waste of resources. The National
Platform aims to improve this situation and to make post-disaster assessments available more quickly so
that action plans can be prioritised.
Crosscutting Issues
Gender
According to the UNDP, the status of women in Turkey is still particularly alarming with fifty-nine percent
of Turkish working women lacking social protection, while "the country’s traditional social and economic
38
<www.mag.org.tr/eng/proje2.html>
20
structures continue to restrict women’s active participation in politics”.39 This also makes them
particularly vulnerable to natural disasters.
While there have been various efforts to foster gender equality and women’s empowerment throughout
Turkey,40 especially in relation to the legal reforms necessary for Turkey’s accession to the European
Union, the issue has not been explicitly taken into account in terms of national disaster related
legislation nor DRR plans. A similar void is to be found in the work of NGOs. Women-focused
organisations such as the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work, which has been active since the
1980s in the Marmara region, work on disaster relief and reconstruction but little is known about the
action of women in hazard reduction initiatives.41
An exception is the 2000-2005 “To be Prepared for Disasters and Emergency Situation Project”, which is
targeted specifically at children and women, implemented by several ministries and the TRCS under the
coordination of the General Directorate of Civil Defence and with the support of UNICEF. The general aim
of the project is to “conduct effective studies for the reduction of disaster effects on women and
children”, focusing particularly on the inclusion of women and children in service programmes before
(preparedness) and after (emergency management, adapted health and psychological services)
disasters.42
Empowering women and making them part of the solution regarding not only gender related issues but
also DRR, environmental management, disaster response planning and relief efforts needs to occupy a
focal point. As a first step, comprehensive demographic and epidemiologic maps and genderdisaggregated vulnerability and capacity need to be established in order to allow government and civil
society actors to reach out effectively to these sensitive groups.
Climate Risk Management
Turkey experiences significant climatic risks, which will only increase with continued global warming. In
order to effectively pre-empt and cope with the effects of climate extremes the government has
integrated climate change into its Development Plan for 2007-2013, its National Rural Development
Strategy (2006) and adopted the Action Plan on Drought Preparedness and Combating Drought in 2008,
and the Turkish Earthquake and Flood Recovery Project, both the latter are supported by the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Between the years 1955 to 2007 500,000 hectares of land were included
in schemes of reforestation and erosion control by the MEF.
All of those efforts are consistent with Turkey's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2009 and embedded
within the country's National Climate Change Strategy and Climate Change Action Plan, which is
currently being finalised. The strategy has been supported by the World Bank since June 2010 in the
39
UNDP. 2011. Turkey Needs Affirmative Gender Policies, <http://www.undp.org.tr/Gozlem2.aspx?WebSayfaNo=2431>.
The General Directorate on the Status and Problems of Women was founded in 1990 and coordinates all gender related
activities of governmental bodies, mainstreams a gender perspective into legislation, administrative reforms, SPO
development plans and organizes policy dialogues with relevant ministries to translate laws and international actions plans
(e.g. the UN Beijing Platform for Action) into concrete policies. Gender disaggregated data is compiled by TurkStat since
1993. NGOs, governmental agencies, and universities have made significant contributions to the creation of a more gender
sensitive society
41 Yonder. 2005.Women’s Participation in Disaster Relief and Recovery.
42 Information report on DRR by the Republic of Turkey.
40
21
form of funds for the promotion of private sector investment in clean technology and the integration of
environmental sustainability principles into key sectoral policies and programmes. Although Turkey did
not commit itself to any mitigation efforts for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (20082012) the country did commit itself to integrate the issues of water resources protection, climate change
and the ensuing erosion control into policy legislation, development plans and institutional structures by
signing the Joint Programme for Enhancing the Capacity of Turkey to Adapt to Climate Change” in April
2008. As part of this programme the FAO and UN Country Team members will support Turkey in
identifying and filling the knowledge and investment gaps that exist within the agriculture, forestry and
livestock and fishery sectors. A second expected programme outcome is to improve the institutional and
technical capacity for the MEF to collect, store and use climate related information and to improve the
early warning systems to help prevent or decrease the negative effects of floods and drought.
Regional and International Cooperation
Multilateral, bilateral and regional cooperation significantly enhances Turkey’s ability to prepare and
respond effectively to natural disasters. Turkey currently profits from know-how and technological
transfer coming from the UNDP and the World Bank, is an active member of the Capacity for Disaster
Reduction Initiative (CADRI) and is, as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, eligible for
support coming from the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre. As a candidate country
for EU accession Turkey receives significant support from the Union and participates in several projects.
Turkey joined the Project on the Promotion of Volunteers in Civil Protection, took part in the elaboration
of the assessment manual of best practice in various types of emergencies and signed the Open Partial
Agreement on the Prevention of and Protection against and Organisation of Relief in Major Natural and
Technological Disasters. The Ministry of Interior has participated in meetings of the EU General
Directorate since 2000 and is considering joining the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for Facilitating
Cooperation in the event of Major Emergencies.
Concerning cooperation between Turkish organisations and their foreign counterparts, the DMI is an
active member of the WMO and has taken part in many working groups.43 The DMI is also a founder
member of numerous European meteorological organisations44 and has developed a great deal of
bilateral or regional studies with Turkey's neighbouring states. The TRCS maintains strong links with its
foreign counterparts, which are ready to assist the country in the event of a disaster. The International
Federation of the Red Cross as well as the American, Italian, German and British Red Cross Societies
maintain offices in Turkey and cooperate through coordination with the TRCS in the fields of community
awareness, personnel and community training programmes, vulnerability and capacity analysis and
capacity building.
Due to their similar risk profiles, Japan and Turkey enjoy great cooperation concerning DRR. Training that
has presented the Japanese disaster management system to more than 1,000 officials, including deputy
governors, district governors, mayors and the secretary generals of the SPA, seismic engineers, technical
43
The Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology and the Commission for Climatology and the
Commission for Hydrology.
44
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological
Satellites and the Economic Interest Grouping of the National Meteorological Services of the European Economic Area.
22
managers as well as academicians and members of the KOERI, have been offered in Japan since 2001.45
The JICA has conducted several regional and International projects in Turkey.46 Projects currently
underway are the joint Ph.D. Programme to Strengthen Disaster Research Capacity (200-2012), the
Capacity Improvement Project on Seismic Observation (2010-2013) and the School-based Disaster
Education Project (2010-2013). The high probability of an Istanbul earthquake in turn initiated important
hazard reduction related agreements between Turkey and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
of the United States (FEMA). The project, A Cooperative Hazard Impact-reduction Effort via Education
(ACHIEVE), include the training of university staff at the Agency and the translation and adaptation of
FEMA books to the Turkish system. Other bilateral cooperation related to snow avalanches exists with
Switzerland and France.
Since 2008 Turkey has been represented at the regional level by the DEMP through the Disaster
Preparedness and Prevention Initiative (DPPI) for South Eastern Europe and hosted the regional DPPI
meeting in 2009. Furthermore, the country is involved in the UN Disaster Management Training
Programme through the training of trainers and contacts for Turkish DRR experts stored within in the
DPPI hosted database. Another form of regional cooperation concerning disaster management is
Turkey's engagement within the Civil-Military Emergency Planning Council of South Eastern Europe,
which encourages civilian control of military resources during disasters whilst building a multi-national
“network of networks” that favours cooperation between neighbouring countries. Turkey and Greece
signed the Protocol on the Formation of a Joint Hellenic-Turkish Standby Disaster Response Unit to
improve cooperation and joint response mechanisms. A joint exercise was successfully conducted in
Ankara in December 2006. The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Agreement signed by Turkey includes a
clause for emergency assistance and emergency response to natural and manmade disasters. Hazard and
risk assessments are developed jointly by the Mediterranean countries. A real-time flood forecasting and
early warning system for the Maritsa and Tundzha rivers was developed jointly by Turkey and Bulgaria
with French and Dutch support as a constituent of the European PHARE Project: Capacity Improvement
for Flood Forecasting in the Bulgarian-Turkish Cross-border Cooperation Region.47 A Data Exchange Tool
for the DSI, the MEF and decision makers was created along with a dynamic website that is accessible to
the general public.
But Turkey does not only receive help from abroad. The KOERI is the lead agency operating the Tsunami
Warning System that covers the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean and Black Sea. Turkey also
shares its expertise in SEE and beyond through the Technical Cooperation Amongst Developing
Countries, Disaster Information and Disaster Investigation Education Centres Programme, which was
launched in 2005. The project aims to develop views and experiences on local and regional disaster
mitigation issues through multilateral agreement, technology transfer and the development of technical
cooperation amongst member countries. In particular, Turkey assists Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and
45
The Disaster Management Training Project, the Disaster Mitigation Training Project and the Capacity Improvement Project on
Seismic Observation.
46
Flood Control and the Forecasting and Warning System for the Seyhan River (1992-1994), the dispatch of disaster relief teams
in 1999, the dispatch of experts in retrofitting Long-Span Bridges (1999 - 2006), the Earthquake Disaster Prevention Research
Centre Project 1993-2000 and the 2005-2006 follow-up), the Seismic Reinforcement Project for Large Scale Bridge in Istanbul in
2002, the Study on the Disaster Prevention/Mitigation Basic Plan in Istanbul including Seismic Micro-zonation (2001-2003), the
Third Country Training Programme on Earthquake Engineering (2002-2004), the Country-focused Training on Disaster
Prevention/Mitigation (2001-2003), the Disaster Management Training Project (2003-2005) and the Disaster Training Mitigation
Project (2005-2008).
47
National Institute of Meteorology & Hydrology of Bulgaria, Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System for the Maritsa and
Tundzha Rivers—Data Exchange Tool and Website <http://balwois.com/balwois/administration/full_paper/ffp-1760.pdf>.
23
Kazakhstan. Other countries which develop their own DRR systems through scientific and technical
cooperation agreements with Turkey include Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Lebanon and Romania.48
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
 DRR is represented at the highest political level through the DEMP.
 DRR is high on the political agenda and integrated into national legislation, development
plans, the national education curriculum and research.
 Governmental bodies and nearly every non-governmental organisation involved in
disaster related activities are members of the National Platform.
 The whole territory is covered by a dense seismic network and reliable earthquake
prediction systems have been established in the regions that present the highest seismic
risks. KOERI disposes of extremely high technical capacities and an earthquake
monitoring department has been established within the Government.
 The hydrometeorological network is extremely dense and the DSI and DMI dispose of
highly technical capabilities. Public and government institutions can be informed very
quickly.
 Academics, professionals, relevant NGOs and other civil society organisations and the
public present a high level of disaster awareness.
 Members of government and provincial organisations are well trained in DRR.
 Procedures regarding building regulations, post-disaster assessments and preparedness
exist.
 The Municipality of Istanbul can boast a very high level of disaster preparedness and has
conducted extensive risk assessments.
 The issues of gender and climate change are gradually being integrated into legislation
and policies.
Weaknesses
 There is no overarching body to oversee all phases of emergency management, nor a
national DRR strategy to guide all of the organisations at the central and local level.
 Too many institutions are involved in the creation of DRR related laws, sometimes
without proper expertise. Legislation has not been adapted to the reformed institutions
and there are some contradictions and overlap of mandates.
 The scope of Building Inspection Law No. 4708 needs to be broadened. Under actual
circumstances, municipalities lack the capacity to correctly implement the building
regulations.
 Municipalities lack the technical personnel to prepare hazard maps, conduct risk
assessments and implement DRR activities. Emergency management capacities of local
administrations are rather weak.
48
Interim national progress report on the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, 2008.
24
 Coordination and cooperation between central and local administrations needs to be
improved. The rapid turnover prevents provincial officials from becoming familiar with
the reality on the ground and therefore centrally initiated plans cannot take into
consideration local requirements, capacities and involvement.
 The knowledge of NGOs related to DRR is significantly less than their knowledge
concerning post-disaster processes.
 There is no nationwide hydrometeorological risk assessment and socioeconomic
vulnerability assessments need to be strengthened.
 Both BU-KOERI and the EMP operate seismic networks without there being any form of
coordination or cooperation between these institutions.
 The DSI, DMI and the General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources and the Survey
and Development Administration operate nationwide hydrometeorological networks
separately. A new law needs to be invoked to clearly define their responsibilities and
coordination mechanisms need to be developed.
 Mandates and communications routes for alerts, advisements and warnings from the
hydrometeorological and seismic services directly to individuals should be clarified and
in some cases created. Warnings need to be more user-friendly and differentiated for
different levels.
 Community participation and gender sensitivity have not been effectively taken into
consideration in any of the disaster management phases.
Opportunities
 If implemented correctly, the National Platform has the potential to greatly improve the
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impact of DRR activities and decrease the number of partially overlapping and noncompatible projects. The National Platform should try especially to prioritise projects,
integrate existing projects and improve their quality and geographical extent.
The Compulsory Earthquake Insurance Scheme is a sound basis for preparing additional
disaster insurance laws.
National training centres exist and will continue to be created. Officials at both the
national and provincial level are well trained and can in turn train officials at the district
and municipal level.
The newly developed 112 emergency system should allow for real-time data collection
and could be integrated into the Early Warning System. There is the potential to
implement a 24/7 warning system directly within the hydrometeorological services and
seismic services.
Several projects aim to integrate databases and improve disaster related information
management.
The Municipality of Istanbul can serve as a model for the implementation of DRR
projects in other cities.
Women’s traditional natural resource knowledge on disaster risk is important. In the
same way, their knowledge of their surroundings and of natural resources can be
essential to disaster recovery and encouraging the participation of women can help to
create safer communities. They are proactive in preparedness and response and have
an important role in taking appropriate and timely action in response to warnings.
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 Through signing the Yokohama and Kobe declarations and of the Kyoto Protocol Turkey
has committed itself to further integrate climate change issues into its policies and DRR
activities.
 International, bilateral and regional cooperation have the potential to greatly increase
DRR capacities, especially within the domains of training and monitoring. Turkey’s
status as a candidate for EU membership offers an opportunity to hasten changes in
legislative and institutional structures.
 Economic growth, improvements in technology, the integration of sustainable
development, a more aware civil society and an increase in community participation all
offer opportunities for improved DRR.
Threats
 With a major earthquake anticipated in the Municipality of Istanbul the
hydrometeorological risks and DRR measures in other provinces tend to be neglected.
Similarly, research activities are mostly focused on the Marmara Region. DRR efforts
are mostly concentrated on urban areas with the dominant perception being that only
buildings face disaster risks.
 DSI and the DMI are not members of the National Platform and not included in
government training programmes and this could prevent the effective integration of
hydrometeorological services into DRR planning processes.
Recommendations Endorsed by the National Policy Dialogue
The following recommendations were endorsed by the National Policy Dialogue. The recommendations
are aligned with the Hyogo Framework for Action and its five priorities for action for 2005-15.
1.
Ensure that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a national and a local priority with a strong
institutional basis for implementation.
1.1. To improve and strengthen national and local government mechanisms and to institutionalise
lessons learned through previous disasters and incorporate them into DRR policy, planning and
programming in Turkey.
1.2. To facilitate and support the establishment of mirrored/similar/same mechanisms at the county and
local self-government levels by strengthening and reinforcing local capacities, institutions and
governance capabilities.
1.3. To establish a “National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction”.
2.
Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning.
2.1. To establish and invest in fully operational 24/7 hydrometeorological services (technical and human
resources) as well as in the seismological sector in order to support risk assessment and early warning
systems and promote operational monitoring, warning, forecasting and mapping of meteorological,
hydrological and seismological hazards.
26
2.2. To prescribe a new law for hydrometeorological services in Turkey.
2.3. To create appropriate mechanisms to increase coordination between the three hydrometeorological
organisations as a short-term action.
2.4. To strengthen the technical and human resources of the meteorological, hydrological and
seismological services in operational monitoring, warning, forecasting and mapping of seismological,
hydrological, meteorological and ecological risks as well as to enhance the modernisation and
improvement of the monitoring networks and data transmission systems.
2.5. To enhance the early warning system and interoperability of the 112 system through modernisation
of the continuous and real-time collection and sharing of information by expanding the hydrological,
meteorological and air quality monitoring networks, by establishing an integrated fire protection system
and ensuring functional horizontal and vertical links between all disaster risk reduction actors.
2.6. To further strengthen operational cooperation between the Disaster and Emergency Management
Presidency and the hydrological and meteorological services through joint training and improvement of
the standard operating procedures across agencies linked to the different threat levels and incorporation
of the lessons learned from each disaster event.
2.7. To integrate policy, planning and programming into adaptation to climate change within the DRR
strategy.
3.
Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all
levels.
3.1. To integrate DRR into the education system in Turkey at all levels: primary, secondary and university.
3.2. To increase the level of awareness of citizens and the media regarding the early warning system and
the European Emergency Number 112.
3.3. The Ministry for National Education is mandated to mainstream disaster risk reduction into the
national education curriculum by establishing a Curriculum Revision Working Group comprised of
representatives from the Ministry for National Education and Sport, the Disaster and Emergency
Management Presidency, the meteorological and hydrological services, universities, the respective line
ministries, the Turkish Red Crescent Society and expert organisations and individuals.
3.4. To establish a National Training Centre for DRR for disaster and emergency management
practitioners and community members, using the existing European Natural Disaster Training Centre
(AFEM) and or the DEMP Disaster and Emergency Training Centre as a foundation.
3.5. To proceed with the establishment, in Turkey, of a Centre of Excellence for the training of fire fighters
and the coordination of the response to forest fires in the countries of South Eastern Europe, including
the harmonisation of the development of fire-fighting brigades in the countries of the region through the
standardisation of equipment and procedures, thus promoting regional cooperation and collaboration in
disaster risk reduction in South Eastern Europe.
4.
Reduce the underlying risk factors.
4.1. To systematically integrate measures aimed at reducing disaster risks into policies, plans and
programmes for sustainable development and poverty reduction.
4.2. To support the development of studies and research into reducing the specific risk factors that affect
Turkey.
4.3. To develop national capacities for climate (hydrological and meteorological) and geological (including
seismological) services to support medium and long-term sectoral planning as a critical aspect of disaster
risk reduction.
27
4.4. Enhanced investment is needed in climate data rescue, climate and geological modelling and
forecasting and analysis to support sectoral planning in at-risk sectors.
4.5. To improve networking with international institutions present in the region and to promote the
increased involvement of such organisations in the strengthening of DRR in Turkey.
4.6. To develop the capacities of the national climate services to support medium and long-term sectoral
planning through strong collaboration and cooperation across line ministries and with the
meteorological and hydrological services as well as through enhanced regional cooperation with other
South Eastern European and EU countries.
4.7. To enhance investment in climate modelling, forecasting and analysis to support strategic and
sectoral planning for at-risk sectors.
4.8. To develop the Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and the corresponding Implementation/Action Plan
as a first mutual step undertaken by the key disaster risk reduction actors, namely the Disaster and
Emergency Management Presidency, the hydrological and meteorological services, seismological
observatories and surveys, line ministries and the respective public enterprises, the Turkish State
Meteorological Service, civil society and the business community, towards the integration of disaster risk
reduction into development policies, strategies and sectoral plans followed by the implementation of the
aforesaid strategy.
5.
Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels.
5.1. To strengthen disaster preparedness for effective emergency response at all levels and to promote
disaster prevention in Turkey.
5.2. To promote the engagement of the media in order to stimulate a culture of preparedness and strong
community involvement through sustained public education campaigns and public consultation at all
levels of society.
5.3. To increase the involvement of the private sector in activities aimed at DRR with special emphasis on
insurance companies for the purpose of building on the achievements already made in promoting public
private partnerships (PPP) to better engage the private sector in DRR activities.
5.4. To strengthen regional and international links to support more effective wild fire risk preparedness
and prevention in Turkey.
5.5. To increase the use of simulation exercises (including drills, orientations, functional and desk-top
exercises) as a regular feature of emergency response and preparedness training in Turkey.
5.6. To proceed with the establishment, in Turkey, of a “National Exercise Simulation Centre” (NESC) at
the DEMP Headquarters.
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Annex 1: The South East Europe Disaster Risk Management Initiative
In 2007, the World Bank, together with the European National Platforms for DRR and the HFA Focal
Points in partnership with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and others, initiated the South
East Europe Disaster Risk Management Initiative (SEEDRMI), which includes the development and
upgrading of hydrometeorological information and the flood forecasting system for the Sava River Basin.
Also in 2007, the World Bank, the WMO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with
support from the International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Secretariat, initiated the
South Eastern Europe Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Programme (SEEDRMAP). This programme
is aimed at the development and or strengthening of national capacities in this region in line with three
components: (i) disaster risk management, institutional capacities and governance; (ii)
hydrometeorological services and (iii) financial risk transfer mechanisms to assist countries in reducing
the risks associated with natural hazards. Beneficiary countries of this initiative include Albania, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro,
Romania, Serbia, Kosovo (as defined under UNSCR 1244/99), Slovenia and Turkey. During the first phase
of the programme fact finding surveys and desk studies were performed in order to obtain the
information required for the development of the relevant projects; the results of these analyses have
been published in a number of reports.49 Based on these results and consultations with the countries,
the WMO and the UNDP developed two parallel complementary proposals that were funded by the
European Commission (EC) Directorate General for Enlargement.50 These EU funded projects, initiated in
March 2009, cover Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo (as defined under UNSCR 1244/99) and Turkey.
The overall objective of the UNDP Proposal (Activity 1) Regional Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction
in South East Europe is to reduce the risk of disaster associated with natural hazards in the Western
Balkans and Turkey, in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action, by building the capacity of national and
local authorities to promote a coordinated approach to DRR. The specific objective is to increase the
level of regional DRR cooperation in South East Europe and to promote the harmonisation of Disaster
Risk Reduction methodologies, plans and strategies in order to pave the way for the eventual
preparation of a harmonised and mutually accepted regional Disaster Risk Reduction strategy.
The components of the UNDP Activity place special emphasis on strengthening the existing DRR
capacities of the eight IPA beneficiary countries, particularly the enhancement of the Disaster
Preparedness and Prevention Initiative for South East Europe (DPPI SEE). The UNDP programme is largely
funded by the European Union, with a ten percent contribution from the UNDP Bureau for Crisis
Prevention and Recovery (UNDP BCPR) and the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (RBEC).
49
Risk Assessment for South Eastern Europe Desk Study Review, 2008; Strengthening the Hydrometeorological Services in South
Eastern Europe, 2008; Mitigating the Adverse Financial Effects of Natural Hazards on the Economies of South Eastern
Europe, 2008 and The Structure, Role and Mandate of Civil Protection in Disaster Risk Reduction for South Eastern Europe,
2008.
50 Activity 1: Building Capacity in Disaster Risk Reduction through Regional Cooperation and Collaboration in South East Europe
(UNDP); Activity 2: Regional Cooperation in South Eastern Europe for Meteorological, Hydrological and Climate Data
Management and Exchange to Support Disaster Risk Reduction (WMO).
29