Bulldozer tears down building. © GIZ/Candost Aydin

Revitalising critical urban infrastructure in earthquake-affected provinces in Türkiye

Resilient Cities and Communities –Technical assistance to municipalities in earthquake-affected provinces for strengthening their urban service infrastructure efforts in line with Building Back Better principles

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  • Client

    The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (self-initiated measure)

  • Country
  • Political sponsors

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  • Runtime

    2023 to 2025

  • Involved

    Hatay Metropolitan Municipality, Adıyaman Municipality, Institute of Urban Studies

  • Products and expertise

    Sustainable infrastructure: water, energy, transport

Context

The earthquakes on 6 February 2023 severely impacted southeastern Türkiye, particularly Adiyaman and Hatay provinces. This devastation highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive and strategic approach to rebuilding urban infrastructure, ensuring resilience, inclusivity, and long-term viability for the affected communities. The goal is not only to reconstruct what was lost but to prepare these regions for future challenges by adopting a resilient and enduring approach. Moreover, assessments in Adiyaman and Hatay have revealed that urban information systems crucially address immediate infrastructure needs and build long-term resilience by providing vital data for informed decisions and efficient resource allocation.

Objective

The earthquake-affected provinces of Hatay and Adiyaman have revitalised their critical urban infrastructure and built resilient communities.

A city street is covered with rubble and debris.© GIZ/Dr Pinar Cobanyilmaz

Approach

Guided by the principles of 'building back better,' the Project collaborates with local municipalities to rebuild critical urban service infrastructure using a smart city approach. This initiative helps municipalities effectively manage recovery, reconstruction, and potential future disasters. It adopts a multi-faceted strategy, integrating digitalisation and evidence-driven methods into reconstruction efforts while following good governance principles and the Right to the City concept.

The focus areas include:

  • Technical skills building: The project improves urban mobility in Adiyaman and urban-rural development management in Hatay by deploying open-source urban information systems software and enhancing technological capabilities.
  • Human resource training: It equips technical staff and stakeholders with essential skills and knowledge.
  • Networking and cooperation: The project encourages collaboration among stakeholders and engages the community to maximise recovery and reconstruction efforts. It promotes inclusion, active knowledge exchange, and partnerships.
  • Access to finance: The project assists municipalities in developing smart proposals to secure funds and credit lines for earthquake recovery and reconstruction.

Last update: October 2024

Additional information