Afet yönetiminde coğrafi bilgi sistemleri

Abstract

THE USE OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT Prepared by Serkan Bahri BOZKURT Supervisor Prof. Dr. Sümer GÜREL ABSTRACT The use of Geographic Information System in disaster management has transformed the way societies view disasters. Disasters are no longer seen as inevitable events that lead to death and destruction, but are recognized as natural phenomena that can be managed with the deployment of scientific methods and technological tools. The August 17 and October 12, 2000 earthquakes in Turkey have raised the consciousness of both the authorities as well as the general public in this regard. While lack of preventive measures magnified the scale of the destruction, the absence of coordination and information dissemination hampered the rescue and recovery efforts and created more problems. Poor construction practice and uncontrolled urbanization have surely contributed most significantly to the catastrophe caused by these earthquakes. In spite of an overall deficiency in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, actions of certain institutions have given hope for the future.The rapid rise to prominence of AKUT in search and rescue and the organizational successes achieved by the İzmit Kent Kurultayı (İzmit City Assembly) portray such examples. By employing a Geographic Information System, the Izmit Kent Kurultayı has been especially efficient in organizing disaster recovery efforts. This study postulates that even with limited financial resources and time, it is possible to rapidly and deploy a Geographic Information System that serves a specific purpose. This thesis is then tested against the experience of the post- earthquake İzmit City Assembly GIS project, namely the Disaster Recovery Geo- spatial Information Sharing System.