The impact of earthquakes on population and education: February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes example

The aim of this research is to examine the impacts of earthquakes—particularly the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023—on population and education. Earthquakes not only cause significant loss of life and injuries, but also leave deep marks on the social structure. The study first addresses population movements in the affected regions, analyzing migration, changes in demographic structure, and socio-economic consequences. The impact of the earthquake on the education system is evaluated in terms of damage to physical infrastructure, school closures, and the psychosocial conditions of students and teachers. In this context, disruptions in education following the disaster, the transition to remote learning, inequalities in access to education, and related problems from a geography education perspective are examined. The research data was obtained through one of the qualitative research methods: document analysis. The research followed stages of data collection, classification, interpretation, and analysis. While using the data, their relevance to the field and the subject was carefully evaluated, and their classification and use were determined accordingly. The core focus of this study is to explore the concept of earthquakes, the specific impacts of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes on education and population, and the multifaceted relationship between these effects and geography education. It further investigates how this relationship can be utilized in geography teaching to raise awareness. The study attempts to establish a connection between the transformative power of disasters on social structures and the ability of geography education to address such events both theoretically and practically. Taking the regional effects of the February 6 earthquakes as a reference, the research comprehensively examines the role and significance of geography education in fostering disaster awareness and sensitivity among students. The findings of the study are presented under two main sections: conclusions and recommendations. These include an emphasis on what earthquakes are, major earthquakes experienced in Turkey and around the world, and their impacts on education and population. In addition, the contributions and potential of geography and disaster education are discussed through examples from both Turkey and the world. Finally, the study focuses on possible measures to reduce the impacts of earthquakes and examines their reflections on the education system.