The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change announced that micro-zoning studies have been completed over approximately 200,000 hectares across 23 provinces following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on Feb. 6, 2023.

According to the statement from the ministry, efforts are ongoing to correctly select residential areas and identify risks in locations designated for construction to mitigate potential disaster hazards. In this context, the General Directorate of Spatial Planning conducts micro-zoning studies to assess the suitability of areas for construction before residential areas are designated.

Following the Feb. 6 earthquakes, micro-zoning studies have been completed in Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Hatay, Malatya, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Adana, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, Van, Erzurum, Manisa, Karabük, Düzce, Kocaeli, Bolu, Bingöl, Kayseri, Denizli, Burdur, Kütahya, Çorum and Kırşehir, covering approximately 200,000 hectares.

One of the micro-zoning studies is ongoing in Tunceli. In Tunceli, where 1,700 buildings sustained heavy damage during the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes and which is located on active fault lines, micro-zoning studies are being conducted over an area of 6,200 hectares.

The studies, conducted at eight locations, aim to determine the disaster hazards in the districts. The boundaries of areas at risk of landslides and rockfalls are being identified.

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum shared updates on the efforts in Tunceli through his social media account.

Sharing images from Tunceli, Kurum stated: "We are identifying safe residential areas in risky zones through micro-zoning studies for disaster-resistant cities. At the same time, we are strengthening our building stock with new buildings through TOKİ (Housing Development Administration)."