Kocaeli advances earthquake resilience through scientific data

Kocaeli is advancing its urban resilience through scientific data and disaster preparedness initiatives following the 1999 Marmara earthquake. The Kocaeli Soil Data Bank has successfully digitized 41,037 soil data points to support urban planning, urban transformation, and disaster risk analysis.

Ongoing geological, geotechnical, and geophysical studies are examining approximately 8,700 hectares in the Gebze and Darıca regions. The city’s monitoring capabilities include 41 strong ground motion acceleration measurement stations under the Seismological Monitoring and Earthquake Education Center (SİDEM), which coordinates data with AFAD for 24/7 seismic monitoring.

Educational efforts have reached 129,112 people through earthquake simulators at SİDEM, and 2,551 disaster volunteers have been trained across 115 neighborhoods. Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın emphasized that while earthquakes cannot be prevented, risks can be mitigated through scientific guidance, proper planning, and a conscious society.