Disaster Education and Drills in Turkey: Do We Prepare Ourselves for Unexpected Disasters?

Abstract

Introduction:

Turkey is vulnerable to many natural hazards, including earthquakes, landslides, floods, and terrorist attacks. The 7.1 magnitude Marmara Earthquake in 1999 resulted in over 18,000 deaths and estimated losses of over $28 billion. The country’s largest city, Istanbul, is located on the North Anatolian Fault and thus highly prone to earthquakes. It is estimated more than half of the population in the country are potentially seismically vulnerable. This vulnerability makes us ready for disasters. Turkey has advanced disaster risk management through initiating reforms to better manage and reduce disaster risk and strengthening institutions.

Aim:

To overcome institutional fragmentation, the government established the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) in 2009.

Methods:

Assess the 2015 government adopted Turkey National Disaster Response Plan to guide all disaster and emergency response.

Results:

In the last six years, Turkey has become one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries. As of 2018, approximately 3.5 million Syrians under temporary protection have largely been integrated into cities, towns, and villages that stressing the infrastructure and increasing potential risk exposure. This situation makes us recognize disaster protection preparedness. We have many public and civil institutions to prepare society for unexpected situations. The main institution is the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency. AFAD has many projects for youth, school children and all age groups of society. The second organization is the Red Crescent organization of Turkey. The other organizations are mainly National Medical Rescue Teams (UMKE), some university disaster clubs, and civil institutions like Beşir NGOs.

Discussion:

These institutions give main disaster confidence education, main CBRN education, main fire-fighting education, camping life educations, orienteering, mobile oven, and kitchen facilities and drills. We have to raise awareness of the community about preparedness to disasters. We have to share lessons with the whole population for reducing social and economic loss.