A Study on the Permanent Housing Expectations of Earthquake Survivors after the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes

Authors : Figen Beyhan, Abdullah Taflı

Pages : 527-542

View : 41 | Download : 39

Publication Date : 2025-09-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Earthquakes are among the natural disasters whose timing cannot yet be precisely predicted. The extent of casualties and damage caused by earthquakes varies depending on several parameters such as the earthquake\\\'s epicenter and its proximity to fault lines, geological and ground conditions, groundwater and soil properties, site selection and land use, population density and building concentration in the affected area, as well as the quality of design and construction. On February 6, 2023, at 04:17 and 13:24 local time in Türkiye, two major earthquakes with magnitudes of Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6 struck Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) and Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş), respectively. As a result of these devastating earthquakes, thousands of people lost their lives, tens of thousands of buildings collapsed, and hundreds of thousands of housing units were rendered uninhabitable due to severe or moderate damage, even if they did not collapse entirely. Following these two major earthquakes, there emerged an urgent need for housing for millions of people. Traditional solutions such as tents and container units were employed to address this need temporarily. This study aims to examine the existing housing conditions and the housing expectations of earthquake survivors in the 11 provinces declared as disaster zones after the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. The research employs a retrospective survey model, one of the general survey models within the scope of quantitative research methods. The study group consists of 203 earthquake survivors residing in the 11 provinces designated as disaster areas following the earthquakes. Data were collected through a questionnaire designed to assess the housing needs and conditions of earthquake survivors before and after the disaster. Findings from the study indicate that participants generally do not prefer the use of reinforced concrete systems in the construction of new permanent housing post-earthquake, do not wish to reside in buildings taller than three stories, and can tolerate a maximum waiting period of six months to access permanent housing. Moreover, the data suggest that survivors value neighborhood relations, prefer buildings consisting of at least three independent units, and believe that container housing does not adequately meet the need for permanent accommodation.
Keywords : Deprem, Depremzede, Deprem sonrası kalıcı konutlar, Deprem konut beklentileri

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