About

The Earthquake Master Plan is a dynamic and participatory planning process based on earthquake scenarios, integrated with strategic plans for settlement areas, aimed at reducing earthquake damage, and involving pre, during, and post-disaster activities and precautions to create a society with improved quality of life. It is essential for this planning to encompass the entire seismic hazard of the area in a multidisciplinary approach.

Within this context, the project primarily aims to develop an implementable earthquake master plan based on specific standards for each province in Turkey, with a focus on its application in the province of Izmir. The project involves analyzing existing data and generating new data to assess the risks posed by a potential destructive earthquake and tsunami in Izmir. It also includes damage prediction studies to create a foundation for risk reduction and emergency action plans. Different types of data will be compiled and, if necessary, new data will be generated. All acquired data will be integrated under a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. The project will be conducted in three phases: data collection, data evaluation and analysis, earthquake scenario implementation, and damage prediction studies.

The reevaluation of the settlement areas in Izmir, one of the cities in our country with the highest earthquake risk, based on current scientific data is crucial for minimizing potential earthquake risks and loss of life and property. The Izmir Earthquake Scenario and Earthquake Master Plan, known as RADIUS, were completed between 1998 and 2000. However, in the past 22 years, the number and quality of buildings, transportation, infrastructure, and service networks in Izmir have changed significantly. Additionally, the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on October 30, 2020, caused devastating effects and revealed that Izmir is not adequately prepared for large-scale earthquakes. Furthermore, Istanbul is the only other city in our country with an earthquake master plan, which was prepared in 2003. However, there have been issues with the standards and implementation of this plan. Following the destructive earthquakes in Turkey between 2010 and 2020, the necessity of preparing earthquake master plans at the provincial-district level has been discussed, leading to some ongoing initiatives. However, these efforts lack a standardized approach.

In conclusion, the project will test the implementation of earthquake master plans in certain provinces and the type of standards they should adhere to, based on the standards determined on a national scale for Turkey.