Türkiye’s Road to Recovery after the 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquake: Lessons from Chile, Japan, and Nepal
Abstract
The 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquake sequence is one of the biggest disasters Türkiye has ever encountered. The loss of lives and properties by the earthquake indicates that the country was not prepared for such a level of disaster. Moving forward, it is critical for Türkiye to prioritize effective disaster recovery efforts and foster a culture of disaster resilience. Disaster recovery is a multifaceted, complex issue that requires effective planning, coordination, well-defined objectives, and community support to succeed. The present study focuses on proposing a recovery framework for affected areas in Türkiye based on a review of existing recovery mechanisms as well as lessons learned from previous recovery efforts in Türkiye and in Chile, Japan, and Nepal. It also includes the outcomes of focused ground discussions and field interviews conducted during the post-2015 earthquake recovery phase in Nepal and during the 2023 reconnaissance study in Türkiye. This study underscores the significance of implementing the “leave no one behind” principle of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) alongside community participation, strong institutional leadership, quality-focused reconstruction, capacity building, building code enforcement, and retrofitting as essential components of an effective and comprehensive recovery strategy. The study serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, decision makers, development partners, and various stakeholders engaged in the recovery process.
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Data Availability Statement
All data supporting the findings of this study are included within the manuscript. No additional data sets, models or codes were used or generated during the research.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial supports from the Alberta Innovates and the Discovery Grant provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The second author acknowledges the financial and other support provided by the Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (CAEES) and BGC Engineering Inc. for the visit to Türkiye after the earthquake. Additionally, the second author appreciates the insightful discussions with faculty members from the University of British Columbia, BC, Canada, as well as engineers from various organizations who accompanied the visit to Türkiye. The authors also extend their gratitude for the invaluable insights and feedback provided by Dr. N. Emel Gnapati, Professor of Public Policy and Administration, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
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Natural Hazards Review
Volume 25 • Issue 4 • November 2024
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 25, 2023
Accepted: Apr 24, 2024
Published online: Jul 11, 2024
Published in print: Nov 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Dec 11, 2024
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