Türkiye: Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to improve the City of Istanbul's resilience against potential earthquakes. This will be achieved through strengthening critical public facilities for earthquake resistance and enhancing the institutional capacity for disaster risk management and emergency preparedness.

DESCRIPTION

The project will strengthen about 100 public buildings for earthquake resistance. The project has significant potential benefits in terms of protecting human lives and public assets, reducing injuries, and increasing access to health services in the aftermath of a disaster. Indirectly, the project also contributes to sustaining crucial economic activities in the commercial and industrial center of Türkiye, and consequently, making the country more resilient to crises caused by disasters.

The project comprises three components:

Component A (Emergency Preparedness): (i) provision of emergency equipment such as information technology (IT) and emergency communication equipment, water storage tanks, power generators, emergency vehicles, etc.; (ii) public awareness and training; and (iii) technical assistance to enhance emergency preparedness and responses.

Component B (Seismic Risk Mitigation for Public Facilities): (i) retrofitting/reconstruction of about 100 public buildings such as schools and hospitals; and (ii) feasibility studies, detailed designs, and construction supervision.

Component C (Project Management Support): (i) operational costs, consultancies, and IT and office equipment.

PROJECT FINANCING

For more information about project financing, please review the project summary.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environmental and Social Standards and Environmental and Social Exclusion List, are applicable to this project. As the project’s physical component targets only existing buildings, no land acquisition or resettlement is anticipated. The environmental impacts are expected to be localized and temporary during the retrofitting and reconstruction activities. AIIB assessed the updated Environmental Management Plan (EMP) which was originally prepared in 2010 under the World Bank-financed ISMEP project and updated in 2019. The EMP was found to be suitable to manage the proposed project as per AIIB’s ESP requirements and includes suitable provisions for public consultation and information disclosure.

Please review the project summary for additional information.