Investigation of reserve building areas in Nurdağı and İslahiye districts after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes

Turkey is among the countries most affected by natural disasters. Disaster management plays a vital role, especially in coping with earthquakes. Various measures are being taken in the country, such as post-earthquake damage assessments, guidance for recovery, planning for new structures, and the establishment of container cities within the scope of emergency response efforts. Among the long-term strategies, the determination of urban transformation areas is particularly significant, and these transformations are carried out within the framework of laws numbered 6306, 7269, and 3194. In this research, the İslahiye and Nurdağı districts of Gaziantep province were selected as the study area after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. In these regions, where destruction and damage were observed intensively, two stages from the İslahiye district and three stages in the Nurdağı district were examined as reserve construction areas within the framework of urban transformation. All urban transformation practices carried out in these districts after the earthquake were examined on-site. During this process, the stages of collecting existing data, relevant field studies, information and construction processes were meticulously documented. Based on the data obtained, the methods used in establishing and implementing reserve construction areas were evaluated and efforts were made to identify the problems encountered during the implementation process were tried to be determined. Among the problems identified, the lack of information and meetings regarding reserve construction areas, the failure of institutions to adequately inform the rightful owners, and the disagreements among these owners concerning the square meters and gardens they own stand out as important problems. In addition, the failure to prevent illegal construction before the earthquake and the deficiencies in coordination and data sharing among institutions are also noteworthy concerns. This study aims to develop a guide for managing the destructive earthquakes that may occur in our country in the future, based on on-site observations. It also seeks to contribute to the development of strategies to mitigate the effects of earthquakes using the data collected.