| Project Detail |
Istanbul is highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The existing stock of buildings in Istanbul had mostly been constructed prior
to 1998 building codes, which were the first to specifically address earthquake disaster prevention and to require modern
construction practices. It is estimated that the metropolitan areas building stock of approximately 1.5 million structures
includes about 12,000 public buildings, out of which 3,600 were identified as those in need of retrofitting, following the
devastating Marmara quake in 1999. The World Bank initiated and supported the Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and
Emergency Preparedness Project (ISMEP) between 2005 and 2016 (a total of US$550 million), which focused on
retrofitting priority public buildings such as government administrative buildings, schools, hospitals and other social
facilities. ISMEP is regarded as highly successful and has attracted parallel financing from other International Financial
Institutions (IFIs) - European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, KfW and the Council of Europe Development
Bank. So far, a total of 1,365 public buildings have been retrofitted or reconstructed under those loans provided by IFIs.
While much has been done, the unmet needs remain significant.
Building on the highly successful project initiated by the World Bank and supported by many IFIs, the proposed project
will finance structural strengthening of priority public buildings such as schools, hospitals, and other social facilities. Given
the vast needs for vulnerability reduction investments and limited resources, retrofitting is considered the priority method
of choice. This will strengthen Istanbuls resilience against a potential earthquake, saving human lives and public assets.
In the aftermath of a disaster, schools will often function as emergency shelters and hospitals are critical to provision of
medical services for those injured. Emergency equipment such as power generators and water storage tanks will also
be supplied to those facilities to enhance emergency preparedness. The public buildings targeted under the proposed
project will also adopt energy efficiency and water conservation measures, where possible, as well as universal designs
for people with disabilities, and will become green and resilient buildings. The project will include some reconstruction if
retrofitting is not technically feasible or if the cost of retrofitting exceeds 40% of the reconstruction cost. The proposed
project will also finance feasibility studies/designs and construction supervision to ensure compliance with the latest building codes and technical guidance developed under the World Bank project. The project will support institutional
capacity building, public awareness, and project management to a limited extent.
Component A (Seismic Risk Mitigation for Public Facilities): (i) retrofitting/reconstruction of about 100 public
buildings such as schools and hospitals; and (ii) feasibility studies, detailed designs, and construction supervision.
Component B (Emergency Preparedness): (i) provision of emergency equipment such as IT and emergency
communication equipment, water storage tanks, power generators, emergency vehicles, etc.; (ii) public awareness and
training; and (iii) technical assistance to enhance emergency preparedness and responses.
Component C (Project Management Support): (i) operational costs, consultancies, and IT and office equipment.
Objective To improve the City of Istanbuls resilience against a potential earthquake. This will be achieved through strengthening
critical public facilities for earthquake resistance and enhancing the institutional capacity for disaster risk management
and emergency preparedness. |
