Page 287 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 4

Hasan Çağlayan Dündar

1. Introduction

All disasters, but especially earthquakes, which cause the great loss of life
and property in our country, completely change the normal course of life. With
each earthquake disaster that we face, we suffer from a new sorrow which piles
increasingly upon the previous ones, causing deep wounds in our collective
memory. In addition to the earthquakes that caused great destruction such
as the 1939 Erzincan Earthquake, the 1999 Marmara Earthquake and the 2023
Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes, each major earthquake throughout history, each
flood and fire shows the vitality of measures that need to be taken before a
disaster occurs. Legislative arrangements, emergency action plans, economic
measures, zoning regulations, developments in building construction
technologies, insurance services and each effort to create disaster-resilient
cities and a resilient society increase our disaster response capacity. In
particular, immediately after the earthquake and other disasters occur, the
presence of both the state, citizens and non-governmental organizations in
the field with a great spirit of social solidarity makes a positive contribution
to the rapid healing of wounds. TOBB continues its work with an approach
keeping this spirit of assistance and solidarity alive in case of all disasters.
TOBB, as taking a part in the disasters that occurred in our country and aboard
in the past, started its activities immediately after the occurrence of February
2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes.

2. Studies Conducted After the Earthquake
After the earthquake, TOBB took an active role in all stages of the disaster
management process at the highest level, especially in emergency assistance
and damage assessment. The studies conducted are as follows:

2.1. Emergency Aid
• A crisis desk was established in TOBB at the first moment of the earthquake.
• A team of 10 people working in TOBB was sent to the provinces and
districts most affected by the earthquake to provide coordination and
determine the needs.
• Emergency contact points were identified from 43 Chambers and
Commodity Exchanges in the region.
• It was ensured that the necessary search and rescue equipment
and all kinds of necessary materials were delivered to the region by
acting together with Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, Sectoral
Assemblies and TOBB Industrial Database member companies
throughout Türkiye in coordination with 43 Chambers and Commodity
Exchanges in 11 provinces affected by the earthquake.

276 The Journal of Environment, Urban and Climate