The "Earthquake Risk Reduction and Prevention Planning Project" was launched with the joint intervention of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A team of 12 experts from Japan and the northwestern municipality will work in the field for 42 months for a more disaster-resilient Bursa.
Bursa, located in the first-degree earthquake zone, established a ground studies research unit and also implemented Seismic Soil Hazard Assessment Projects in the province by signing a protocol with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) and Marmara Research Center.
In addition, the teams will also determine the maximum earthquake magnitudes that may occur by monitoring the data of 15 stations monitoring nine fault lines. Maps were also prepared due to the geophysical and drilling studies carried out within the framework of the project, including a 3D bedrock depth map, 1/100,000 and 1/25,000 geological maps, and seismic hazard risks.
The hazard and risk assessment results will be revealed 18 months after the project starts, and the urban resilience plan will be announced at the end of the project.
Under the project, areas with a high risk of damage in an earthquake will be determined. In addition to developing new projects to reduce earthquake damage, measures to be taken in the short, medium and long term will also be determined.
Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Ulaş Akhan attended the first meeting with Deputy Secretary General Gülten Kapıcıoğlu and Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Improvement Department head İbrahim Eken to consult about the work and plans to be done.
Earthquake and Soil Investigation Branch Manager Ahmet Ağlan said that the JICA and Bursa Metropolitan Municipality have collaborated for about two years. "We will benefit from their knowledge and experience in this process and aim for a great infrastructure for urban transformation," Ağlan said.
Shinichi Fukasawa, the leader of the JICA expert team, stated that they would determine the earthquake risk in Bursa, discuss the most accurate urban planning and discuss how the project can be developed. The main goal is to determine what can be done before the disaster, not after the disaster, Fukasawa said.
"Japan is a country that is highly affected by earthquakes, and Türkiye is also located in an earthquake zone. The sharing of experience between the two countries can be a fruitful step forward with a healthier plan to save the countries from massive destruction like that caused by Feb. 6 earthquakes," he added.