Topic: UN's response to Natural Disasters
Country: Turkey
Delegate Name: Anu Paul
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Turkey position papers GLIMUN 2013 committees
Natural disasters take many shapes and forms and occur all over the world. While the impact of these disasters vary, it is generally a good idea to have a response system in place in order to minimize loss of life, maintain order, and decrease overall damage to the environment and economy. Many countries have response systems in place as well as prevention plans to reduce the impact and risk of these natural disasters. Turkey is not one of these countries, despite its history with disasters. The culture of response is as much about reaction as it is about prevention, and this is where the nation of Turkey falls behind.
The two natural disasters that Turkey is most prone to are floods and earthquakes; of these, earthquakes take the award for most-destructive natural disaster. This is due to the area in which the country lies in; it is located in one of the world’s most active seismic zones, laying on top of numerous fault lines that could give way at any moment. Despite this, and the relative frequency of the earthquakes, Turkey is still frighteningly defenseless against this natural disaster. Two major earthquakes that wreaked havoc on the nation, but did almost nothing to increase prevention efforts have taken place in the last two decades. The first, in 1998, called the Adana – Ceyhan earthquake was a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey in two very populous cities: Adana and Ceyhan. The earthquake left 145 people dead, thousands injured, and even more homeless. Most of the casualties that occurred were a result of the inadequately engineered buildings in Ceyhan. The economic loss of the event was estimated to be around $1 billion. A more recent earthquake that took place in Turkey happened in 2011 in the eastern part of the country, killing at least 280 people, and injuring many more. The extent of the damage and the shockingly high death toll reminded Turkey of the actions that were necessary to reduce these numbers in the future, but the reminders have not been enough to kick Turkey into high gear when it comes to natural disaster response and prevention plans.
Although these are but a few examples that display the immense damage that Turkey has experienced as a result of earthquakes, a recurring reflection of these natural disasters has been noted. It has been observed that a huge contribution to loss of life has been due in part to buildings that were not engineered in a way that they could withstand these tectonic tremors. The design and structure of the buildings that are made mostly out of bricks are essentially a ready-made tomb; one that can be summoned instantaneously, bringing about death on any and all of its occupants. This is one major reason why Turkey is thought to be unprepared for natural disasters in general – Turkey’s natural disaster and risk management policies still don’t give priority to risk reduction. Legislation and institutions focus on the consequences of earthquakes, not the pre-disaster plans that are so vital to the survival of the country’s people. The same goes for any other natural disaster that can have devastating impacts.
While we can never be fully prepared for natural disasters like earthquakes, Turkey has a duty in protecting its citizens from them; this means that prevention plans, as well as post-damage analyses and aid be priorities in the management of natural disasters. Turkey is slowly starting to progress in these areas, as the National Disaster Management Strategy and Action Plan is taking shape. It introduces basic approaches and strategies that can be used in preparing for natural disasters, as well as ways to organize relief efforts and establish early warning systems. Turkey is doing its best to identify threats and risks for management of natural disasters caused by climate change, by preparing maps that show where high-risk areas are, as well as improving monitoring systems that can decrease casualties. Turkey is also working to identify the social, economic, and environmental impacts of these natural disasters in order to increase awareness of these geographical facts of everyday life. As the population continues to increase, the need for an effective risk prevention and management system in the case of natural disasters becomes increasingly more important in the lives of Turkish citizens.
