Türkiye says 2023 earthquake highlighted need for resilience in urban planning

The earthquake that struck Türkiye on February 6, 2023 underscored the urgent need for resilience in urban planning, Ömer Bulut, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, has stated at a ministerial roundtable held during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

He said the largest reconstruction effort in Türkiye’s history was launched in the aftermath of the disaster, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

According to him, Türkiye intends to prepare its cities for a more resilient, lower-carbon-emission, climate-compatible future.

“In Türkiye, 15 per cent of housing construction is developed by the state and 85 per cent by the private sector. The main task of the state is to ensure sustainable, affordable housing for low- and middle-income citizens,” he noted.

He added that over the past 20 years, 1.75 million social housing units have been built by the state, providing homes for more than 7 million citizens.

“Türkiye is ready to share its experience in this field with countries around the world,” he said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov