Move to Kırklareli to have a disaster-free
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Radikal
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 10, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Based on a database created to maintain records of natural disasters across the country, Kocaeli is the province that suffers most from natural disasters. The least affected provinces are Kırklareli, Edirne and Kilis. Landslides occur in all 81 provinces of the country while floods occur in all but Kırklareli.
Kırklareli is the place to be if one is seeking the safest haven in the country, according to a natural disaster database prepared by the Public Works Ministry’s General Directorate for Disaster Affairs.
The database contains information on all natural disasters to hit the country since 1950. The project, said to be a first in Turkey, is sending local governments and universities the conclusions drawn from the data.
The province determined to be the most affected by natural disasters is Kocaeli, where earthquakes pose the primary threat. Erzurum, Bingöl, Sakarya, Düzce, Van, Yalova, Muş, Adana and Diyarbakır also rank high as earthquake-prone areas.
Kırklareli, Edirne, Kilis and Tekirdağ are the areas least affected by natural disasters. Kırklareli is the only province in Turkey that has not experienced floods. Floods occur most often in Erzurum. Avalanches occur most often in Bitlis, Kayseri takes first place for rock falls, and Trabzon is most often hit by landslides.
Earthquakes are the major threat
Based on the data spanning from 1950 to 2008, earthquakes pose the highest threat for the country. There are 35,741 administrative points in Turkey and 43.75 percent of them have faced at least one disaster, according to information provided in the database. Earthquakes cause 55 percent of disaster-related damage in the country, landslides 21 percent, floods 8 percent, rock falls 7 percent and avalanches 2 percent, according to the data.
Provinces that face disasters the most are Kocaeli, Erzurum, Bingöl, Sakarya, Düzce, Van, Yalova, Muş, Adana and Diyarbakır, based on the numbers of victims. According to the database, an earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale doesn’t do much damage. Earthquakes exceeding 4.4 on the Richter scale do cause damage.
All 81 provinces face the threat of landslides. From 1950 to 2008, 13,494 landslides have occurred. Trabzon is the most affected by landslides where fatalities stand at 4,106.
Floods also pose a major risk in Turkey. All provinces except Kırklareli have experienced floods, according to the collected data. Floods are most common in the basins of the Kızıl River, Yeşil River, Euphrates and in the eastern Black Sea region.
Rock falls occur in 79 provinces of the country. Rock falls have claimed 19,422 victims to date. Kayseri is the province with the most rock falls with 279 events recorded, followed by Erzurum.
731 avalanches have occurred in Turkey in 45 provinces. Bitlis is the province with the most avalanches, accounting for 203 incidents. Bingöl and Tunceli follow. Regions of eastern Anatolia, the northeastern Black Sea region and southeastern Anatolia’s high-altitude spots with less vegetation are where avalanches are most common.
"At the root of damage caused by disasters, lies the selection of inappropriate settlement spots. There are two factors involved: bad planning and poor inspection of buildings," said Mustafa Taymaz, director general for disaster affairs.
Taymaz said using this database they intend to point out the dangers faced by various regions. He issued a warning call to all local governments and said, "Make your development plans considering the threats."
66 percent of Turkey lies on first- and second-degree seismic zones. With 11 metropolitan cities in active seismic zones, 70 percent of Turkey’s population lives in areas at risk of an earthquake. Around 75 percent of Turkey’s heavy industry zones are also in areas where an earthquake may occur anytime.
The database contains information on all natural disasters to hit the country since 1950. The project, said to be a first in Turkey, is sending local governments and universities the conclusions drawn from the data.
The province determined to be the most affected by natural disasters is Kocaeli, where earthquakes pose the primary threat. Erzurum, Bingöl, Sakarya, Düzce, Van, Yalova, Muş, Adana and Diyarbakır also rank high as earthquake-prone areas.
Kırklareli, Edirne, Kilis and Tekirdağ are the areas least affected by natural disasters. Kırklareli is the only province in Turkey that has not experienced floods. Floods occur most often in Erzurum. Avalanches occur most often in Bitlis, Kayseri takes first place for rock falls, and Trabzon is most often hit by landslides.
Earthquakes are the major threat
Based on the data spanning from 1950 to 2008, earthquakes pose the highest threat for the country. There are 35,741 administrative points in Turkey and 43.75 percent of them have faced at least one disaster, according to information provided in the database. Earthquakes cause 55 percent of disaster-related damage in the country, landslides 21 percent, floods 8 percent, rock falls 7 percent and avalanches 2 percent, according to the data.
Provinces that face disasters the most are Kocaeli, Erzurum, Bingöl, Sakarya, Düzce, Van, Yalova, Muş, Adana and Diyarbakır, based on the numbers of victims. According to the database, an earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale doesn’t do much damage. Earthquakes exceeding 4.4 on the Richter scale do cause damage.
All 81 provinces face the threat of landslides. From 1950 to 2008, 13,494 landslides have occurred. Trabzon is the most affected by landslides where fatalities stand at 4,106.
Floods also pose a major risk in Turkey. All provinces except Kırklareli have experienced floods, according to the collected data. Floods are most common in the basins of the Kızıl River, Yeşil River, Euphrates and in the eastern Black Sea region.
Rock falls occur in 79 provinces of the country. Rock falls have claimed 19,422 victims to date. Kayseri is the province with the most rock falls with 279 events recorded, followed by Erzurum.
731 avalanches have occurred in Turkey in 45 provinces. Bitlis is the province with the most avalanches, accounting for 203 incidents. Bingöl and Tunceli follow. Regions of eastern Anatolia, the northeastern Black Sea region and southeastern Anatolia’s high-altitude spots with less vegetation are where avalanches are most common.
"At the root of damage caused by disasters, lies the selection of inappropriate settlement spots. There are two factors involved: bad planning and poor inspection of buildings," said Mustafa Taymaz, director general for disaster affairs.
Taymaz said using this database they intend to point out the dangers faced by various regions. He issued a warning call to all local governments and said, "Make your development plans considering the threats."
66 percent of Turkey lies on first- and second-degree seismic zones. With 11 metropolitan cities in active seismic zones, 70 percent of Turkey’s population lives in areas at risk of an earthquake. Around 75 percent of Turkey’s heavy industry zones are also in areas where an earthquake may occur anytime.