Evaluation of the role of mukhtar's in disaster and emergency preparedness and risk management activities: The case of Ankara province

The main purpose of this thesis is to reveal whether headmen's offices, as the smallest unit of local governments, can take a more active role within the scope of research limitations in order to more effectively manage disasters that are gradually increasing their impact. Within the scope of the research, firstly, through national and international reference institutions and resources, the concepts that are most frequently encountered in disaster management and which constitute the main subject of this thesis, mainly related to the pre-disaster period, are included. Afterwards, in disaster management in the world, international institutions such as the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Agency and the disaster management models of states such as the United States and Japan were examined in the context of risk and local governments, and then Turkey's national disaster management system was examined in this context. Using the in-depth interview method, various neighborhood headmen in Ankara were interviewed and an attempt was made to understand the headmen's knowledge and awareness levels regarding disaster risk management. Afterwards, the opinions and suggestions of the headmen regarding disaster management were consulted and finally their ideas about taking a more active role in disaster management were taken. As a result of the research, disaster management in Turkey is largely focused on disaster intervention and humanitarian aid, more effective risk management studies are needed, neighborhood headmen have played important roles in past disaster practices, and the resilience of the society is increased because they are the smallest local government bodies that can communicate closely with the society. It has been concluded that they can be important actors in raising awareness, organizing within society, increasing solidarity and cooperation. Key Words: Disaster, Risk, Preparedness, Mukhtar, Resilience