The 2023 Turkiye Earthquake was a catastrophic seismic event. It was notable for its high magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, followed by a significant aftershock of 7.5, resulted in over 40,000 fatalities, widespread physical damage with more than 6,000 buildings collapsing and an estimated 300,000 either destroyed or severely damaged. A contributing factor to the scale of destruction was the lack of stringent seismic safety checks in buildings due to government-issued construction amnesties, along with the lack of retrofitting in older structures.

The earthquake also had a substantial economic impact, with direct damages estimated to be around $34.2 billion, equivalent to 4% of the country’s GDP in 2021[1]. Critical infrastructure including roads, bridges, and railways were destroyed, hampering rescue operations and complicating future reconstruction efforts. The region continued to experience a high level of seismic activity with over 30,000 aftershocks in the months following the main earthquake.

[1] https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/02/27/earthquake-damage-in-turkiye-estimated-to-exceed-34-billion-world-bank-disaster-assessment-report

Key takeaways

Exploring the multifaceted approach to disaster resilience, from immediate response to long-term recovery and future preparedness, with spotlight on the following aspects:

• Leveraging Remote Sensing and GIS for Rapid Assessment
• Damage Assessment to Long-term Recovery: Case of Buildings
• Build Back Better: Examples of Resilient Infrastructure
• Building Typologies and Code Implications
• Risk Communication and Local Capacity Building