Arnavutköy’de (İstanbul) Afet ve Acil Durum Toplanma Alanlarının Afet Süreçlerinde Kullanılmaya Uygunluk Açısından Değerlendirilmesi
Afetler sosyal ve psikolojik açıdan toplumda önemli yer edinmiştir. Son zamanlarda Türkiye’de yaşanan deprem, sel, orman yangını gibi afetlerin doğurduğu kayıplar konuyu gündemde tutmuştur. Afetlerin önlenmesi ve zararlarının azaltılmasında afet yönetim süreci önemlidir. Afet süreçlerinde vatandaşların güvenli alanlarda toplanması ve ihtiyaçlarının karşılanması amacıyla “Afet ve Acil Durum Toplanma Alanları” oluşturulmaktadır. Bu alanların güvenliği ve ihtiyaca cevap verebilmesinde doğru yer seçimi önemlidir. Bu çalışmada, İstanbul’un nüfus yoğunluğu yüksek ilçelerinden biri olan Arnavutköy’deki afet ve acil durum toplanma alanlarının afet süreçlerinde kullanılmaya ne düzeyde uygun olduğu araştırılmıştır. Analitik Hiyerarşi Süreci (AHS), Uzaktan Algılama (UA) ve arazi çalışmalarıyla toplanma alanlarının uygunluk düzeylerinin belirlenmesi ve örneklemlerle yorumlanması hedeflenmiştir. Bu amaçla araziden ve ilgili kurumlardan veriler toplanmıştır. Tehlikeli unsurlara mesafe, yerleşme yoğunluğu, ana yollara ve sağlık altyapısına mesafe, zemin sıvılaşmasına yatkınlık, arazi örtüsü ve eğim parametreleriyle uygunluk analizi yapılmıştır. Bulgulara göre, Arnavutköy’deki 185 toplanma alanı 5 uygunluk düzeyine ayrılmıştır. Toplanma alanlarının %32’sinin en düşük ve düşük uygunluk düzeyinde yer aldığı belirlenmiştir. İlçede en düşük uygunluk düzeyinde yer alan 26 toplanma alanının çeşitli riskler nedeniyle afet süreçlerinde kullanılmaya uygun olmadığı, bu alanların acilen değiştirilmesi gerektiği düşünülmektedir. Toplanma alanlarının amacına ulaşabilmesi için tanıtılması ve afet esnasında ihtiyaç duyulacak malzemeler, depolama alanları, altyapı ve donatılar bakımından hazırlanması gerekmektedir.
Evaluation of Disaster and Emergency Assembly Areas in Arnavutköy (Istanbul) for Suitability in Disaster Processes
Disasters play an important social and psychological role in society. The recent losses caused by disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and forest fires in Turkey have kept this issue on the agenda. Disaster management processes are important to prevent disasters and reduce their damage. “Disaster and Emergency Assembly Areas” are established to gather citizens in safe areas and meet their needs during disaster processes. Correct location selection is important for the safety of these areas and the assembly of needs. This study investigates to what extent the disaster and emergency assembly areas in Arnavutköy, one of the highly populated districts of Istanbul, are suitable for use in disaster processes. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP), Remote Sensing (RS), and field studies were used to determine the suitability levels of the assembly areas and interpret them with samples. For this purpose, data were collected from fields and relevant institutions. Suitability analysis was performed using the parameters of distance to hazardous elements, settlement density, distance to main roads and health infrastructure, susceptibility to soil liquefaction, land cover, and slope. According to the findings, the 185 assembly areas in Arnavutköy were categorized into 5 suitability levels. It was determined that 32% of the assembly areas had the lowest and lowest suitability levels. It is thought that the 26 assembly areas at the lowest suitability level in the district are not suitable for use during disaster processes due to various risks, so these areas should be changed urgently. For assembly areas to fulfill their purpose, they need to be introduced and prepared in terms of materials, storage areas, infrastructure, and equipment that will be needed during a disaster.
Disasters are events that stop or interrupt the functioning of life, cause socioeconomic and environmental losses, and cannot be overcome by the efforts of those exposed to them (Kadıoğlu, 2008; Kart et al., 2023). Natural disasters have been increasing in the world since the 1940s, and it is thought that this is due to population growth, expansion of settlements, land use, and climate changes (Brown et al., 2018; Mitchell et al., 2014). Turkey, which is one of the countries where climatic and geological disasters occur frequently, is located in the Mediterranean-Himalayan earthquake zone. Rainfall regimes in Turkey are irregular, and the climate is variable. Due to these characteristics, earthquakes and floods, mass movements, avalanches, droughts and frosts are the most frequently experienced natural disasters in Turkey (Ergünay, 2007). Arnavutköy, which is the subject of the research, is one of the crowded districts of Istanbul. Istanbul, which carries various disaster risks, is a city where earthquakes that caused destruction in the past have occurred and is pregnant with new earthquakes. Disaster and emergency assembly areas, which are of vital importance in terms of reducing disaster-related losses and reaching and responding to disaster victims, are safe places where citizens can gather by leaving dangerous areas to prevent panic, provide communication, and assistance until temporary shelter centers are prepared after the disaster (AFAD, 2023a; Doğan, 2023). In Turkey, these areas are controlled by the AFAD, the Gendarmerie command, and local governments. This study conducted a suitability analysis to determine the suitability levels of the disaster and emergency assembly areas in Arnavutköy for use in disaster processes. Arnavutköy is located in the Çatalca Kocaeli Section of the Marmara Region, on the European Side of Istanbul. The location is 23.1 km from the North Anatolian Fault Line (NAF), one of the faults that produces the most earthquakes in Turkey. In this study; disaster and emergency assembly areas in the Arnavutköy district were evaluated using AHP, one of the “Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)” methods. Based on literature research, expert opinions and field studies; distance to hazardous elements, settlement density, distance to main roads and health infrastructure, soil liquefaction susceptibility, land cover and slope parameters and assembly areas were examined in terms of suitability for use in disaster processes. The database required for the analysis was prepared from satellite images, secondary data collection, observation, and interviews. The 15 assembly areas were examined on-site for field control of the findings.
81% (150) of the 185 disaster and emergency assembly areas in Arnavutköy are in Arnavutköy district center and Hadımköy. According to the findings, 32% of the assembly areas in Arnavutköy are at the “lowest and lowest” suitability level. In particular, the 26 assembly areas at the lowest suitability level are located near elements that may pose a risk in the event of a disaster, such as high-voltage lines, transformer centers, minarets and flood streams. The main problems identified in the assembly areas with the “lowest and lowest” suitability level in Arnavutköy are as follows;
• Some assembly areas are surrounded, difficult to enter and exit, covered with garbage and debris and muddy areas with holes. It does not seem possible to use these areas.
• Some assembly areas are insufficient in area compared with the neighborhood population. These areas are also occupied by elements such as the muhtar’s office and children’s park.
• Some assembly areas are at risk of flooding because they are close to coastlines. In addition, assembly areas near wetlands are prone to soil liquefaction (Üstün et al. 2022). It would be dangerous to use these areas during possible earthquakes.
• The 11 assembly areas in Arnavutköy are close to areas affected by floods and can be exposed to floods.
• Assembly areas are located between multi-story buildings in Arnavutköy. Using these areas is dangerous during disasters such as earthquakes. People using these areas may be harmed, and access to them may become difficult when the buildings surrounding these areas collapse.
• 7 assembly areas in Arnavutköy are dangerous because they are located near high-voltage lines and base stations, and 9 are near minarets.
It is important to minimize disaster damages in Turkey’s sustainable development. As part of this process, selecting disaster and emergency assembly areas using scientific methods and being prepared for disasters using their infrastructure and equipment is important for preventing disaster damage. It is believed that this study will increase disaster awareness in the Arnavutköy district, which stands out about its population and disaster risks, and reduce possible losses due to disasters.
