Earthquake master plan for Istanbul
This report contains the building stones for an emergency plan for Turkey. The main guiding principle has been the self-evident fact that while no natural disaster can be prevented from happening, the incorporation of well-formulated planning and technical counter-measures will mitigate damages and losses significantly. This report assumes as its basis the supposed occurrence of Scenario A Earthquake as it has been described in a preceding study conducted for IMM under JICA auspices.
The master plan drawn up on this report refers to different designations such as disaster plan, emergency action plan, emergency response plan, emergency preparedness plan and emergency recovery plan. It contains the following principal components:
• Ensuring that vital urban functions are carried on without interruption by the existing organization following the emergence of the phenomenon for which the plan has been prepared,
• It is a basic given that planning activities and services are the most effective way of curbing losses at metropolitan scale. Therefore the basic administrative structure for performing these tasks must be established. Powers of the local government may not overcome all of the obstacles so ways of effective cooperation with the central government must be probed.
• Empowering designated agencies and persons to perform their duties at designated places and times,
• A hierarchical organization must be designed so that powers and responsibilities are fulfilled completely and without administrative overlapping.
• It is of primary importance that the safety of life and property should be preserved during the earthquake emergency
• Rules and guidelines must be established on how the Metropolitan Municipality and cooperating agencies will utilize physical resources such as manpower, equipment, facilities, supplies during the initial response and recovery phases.
• The Master Plan requires legal revisions and additional financial resources before it can be realized. A critical assessment of the administrative and technical resources at disposal of the local government must be made, and appropriate changes in these formulated.
• A wide-scope and ambitious plan must have popular support and involvement. A public training and awareness program must be initiated, and the citizens must be informed about the hardships that must be endured so that the plan becomes a reality.