ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – January 2012
LAST UPDATE
We do not forget Van, and we do not let others forget it. Because the pain we experienced there is something we never want to experience anywhere in our country again. In this sense, keeping our pain fresh will ensure that we remain constantly active in taking precautions and executing plans.
As for the current structural damage situation in Van, the latest reported data is as follows:
- 28,532 buildings in Van City Center, Edremit, and Erciş Districts have been destroyed or severely damaged. These buildings will be demolished.
- 11,317 buildings are moderately damaged. These buildings must be strengthened (rehabilitated) to be used safely again.
- 43,407 buildings have light damage. These buildings can be repaired and made usable.
- 28,453 buildings have no damage.
It is important to carefully assess these figures and the current situation. For the buildings that are destroyed or severely damaged, the results are clear: they will be demolished and rebuilt. Considering that approximately 30,000 buildings need to be rebuilt, the magnitude of the challenge becomes clearer.
Rapid methods have been used to determine the level of damage to the buildings. This is a natural approach because you can only survey tens of thousands of buildings in this manner. For the moderately damaged buildings, earthquake resistance will be assessed, and strengthening work will be carried out if necessary. However, it should be noted that not all moderately damaged buildings can be reinforced. The reason for this is the cost of reinforcement. If the cost of reinforcement exceeds approximately 40% of the cost of rebuilding, strengthening is generally not recommended for those buildings. The exact number of such buildings is not yet known, but this means that the cost to the state will continue to rise over time.
Even for the buildings categorized as lightly damaged, it is essential to assess their earthquake resistance. Just because a building survived the earthquake with light damage does not mean that its earthquake resistance is adequate. Many of the lightly damaged buildings will likely require strengthening, which again implies an increasing cost to the state.
All of these structural issues can only be solved with financial resources. As we have seen after previous earthquakes, this will lead to economic hardships. This needs to stop. The national economy, which experts have worked on for years to improve, can be overturned in an instant by an earthquake. The only way to prevent this is by building earthquake-resistant structures.
The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization is conducting significant work regarding the renewal of buildings, and the target date for these efforts is 2023. However, this date may be too late for many things. We could make considerable progress in urban renewal long before this target date, but this can only be achieved through local collaborations. If we can put into practice what we so often say but few dare to do—"We must put our hands under the stone"—we would be contributing a nail to the construction of a better future for our people and country.
Elazığ is a city with the physical and scientific infrastructure to solve its own problems. The only missing piece is coming together. The authorities responsible for leading this process are known to everyone.
Every earthquake takes something away from the future of our country, and with this trajectory, the outcome will remain unchanged with every possible earthquake. By renewing our buildings, we will not only protect our homes and families, but more importantly, we will protect our country. Let us all come together and truly take care of our country.