Why Turkey is so vulnerable to natural disasters

With a distinct geographic location serving as a barrier and bridge connecting two continents, Asia and Europe, Turkey is a country that is adorned with many attractions.Turkey is a magnificent destination for those fascinated by magnificent buildings and historical empires. The country located in the Middle East radiates captivating beauty, rich culture, and unique history that draws visitors from all over the world. Turkey has unmatched tranquillity, beauty, and peace to offer everyone.

But beneath this beauty and serenity lies a plethora of natural disasters that destroy the affected areas in the country when any of them strikes.

Turkey’s geological location and disaster ranking

Turkey’s geomorphological structure and geological position make it particularly vulnerable to natural calamities such as floods, landslides, wildfires, and earthquakes. Out of 180 countries that are vulnerable to disasters, Turkey is ranked 113th, according to the World Risk Index. These calamities are claiming thousands of lives and causing enormous property losses.

Earthquakes sits on top of the list of catastrophes in Turkey. Globally, Turkey is ranked third in terms of earthquake-related casualties and eighth when it come to the overall number of people impacted by the disaster.

Recorded incidents

One of such incidents was was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that claimed more than 50, 000 lives in southern Turkey about a year ago. This was later followed by another magnitude 7.5 earthquake. The fist earthquake is said to be the most devastating in more than 20 years and was as strong as one in 1939 near Gaziantep in south-central Turkey. It was the most powerful recorded.

After earthquakes, floods are the second most devastating category of natural catastrophe in Turkey. Floods are responsible for over 30% of all natural disasters that occur in the nation. Flash floods, which are frequently caused by lengthy, strong rainstorms, are particularly common in Turkey’s coastal regions.

Between 1950 and 2007, there were 34 flood incidents in Turkey, resulting in 1,016 fatalities and affecting over 1.5 million people. The big cities are mostly affected due to a combination of factors including heavy rainfall, residential and commercial buildings located on flood plains, a high percentage of impermeable surfaces, and insufficient drainage.

Another major geological hazard is the frequent occurrences of landslides especially in the Eastern lack Sea Region in the Black Sea Region. Turkey is situated in an area that receives the most rainfall, which is also where most landslides happen. The region has seen more than 2000 landslides alone in the last 30 years. The most recently recorded incident is the where on Tuesday, a gully abruptly collapsed almost 10 million cubic meters of soil onto the Copler mine site. There is an ongoing search for nine gold field workers who went missing following the tragedy.

The Chamber of Mining Engineers had issued numerous warnings over the gold mine, according to Mehmet Torun, the organization’s former president, who spoke with the BBC’s Turkish service.

Variables that increase the risk of disaster

Development strategies that disregard a region’s susceptibility to natural hazards are a major factor in vulnerability to disasters. More than 100 arrest warrants were issued by the Turkish authorities to building contractors after the February earthquake disaster that claimed thousands of lives, damaged properties, and rendered millions homeless.

According to the environment minister, Murat Kurum, 24,921 of the more than 170,000 buildings in the country’s south had either collapsed or sustained significant damage as a result of the earthquake, a report by The Guardian said.

Anger at government

Leaders of the opposition have long charged Erdoğan’s administration with not following building codes and not keeping track of the money collected from a tax put in place to make sure office buildings and apartment complexes were more earthquake-resistant following the 1999 İzmit earthquake.

People in the hardest-hit province in Turkey, Hatay in the southeast, heckled remarks during the vigil for the first anniversary of the devastating earthquakes that hit southeastern Turkey,

They demanded that local and government officials not show up at the memorial while calling for their resignation.

Experts have advocated for better disaster management in Turkey through the deployment of a strategy that emphasizes both reaction and prevention.