Natural Disaster Potential and Risk Reduction Recommendations of Agri (Turkey) Province and Its Surroundings

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 60 - 65, 15.05.2024

Fırat Değer Necmi Yarbaşı

Abstract

Agri Province and its immediate surroundings are areas at risk of natural disasters. It is frequently affected by these disasters and poses serious threats to the safety and quality of life of the people of the region. The most common natural disasters in the study area are floods, landslides, rockfalls, avalanches, and earthquakes. Disasters such as landslides, rock falls and avalanches occur frequently due to the geological and topographic characteristics of Agri Province and its immediate surroundings, which consist of depression plains surrounded by high mountains and high slope-elevation values. Disaster events that have occurred or are likely to occur to date have been compiled from the AFAD Provincial Directorate archive (IRAP-AGRI, 2021), and it has been observed that flood and avalanche disasters occur at a higher rate than the countrywide. Flood disaster is the most common natural disaster throughout the province, and due to global climate changes, it is frequently seen especially in settlements near streams. Landslide disaster is especially seen in Eleşkirt-Center, Diyadin, Doğubayazıt, Hamur, and Tutak Districts, where topographic slope values are high. Rock falls are seen in Eleşkirt-Center, Doğubayazıt, Diyadin, and Hamur Districts. Due to the continental climate prevailing in the region and heavy snowfall throughout the province, avalanche disasters are seen especially in settlements surrounded by high mountains such as Köse Mountain and Süphan. These types of disasters occur together, and it is thought that the trigger mechanism for multiple disasters to occur together is mostly caused by earthquakes. To prevent natural events from turning into disasters, engineering applications in residential areas should be carried out by considering the geological and geotechnical characteristics of the region. In addition to these measures, Provincial Disaster Preparedness Plans, Community Information and Awareness Programs, Infrastructure Strengthening and Restructuring, Post-Disaster Rapid Recovery Strategies, and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plans should be prepared.

Keywords

Agri, Natural disaster, AFAD, Disaster management, Risk reduction

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