Society and Disaster Risk Management Seminar

Community and Disaster Risk Management Seminar The third seminar in the "Community and Disaster Risk Management" series launched by Sabancı University on disaster risk management and post-disaster response methods was held on Tuesday, 18 April 2023. The seminar addressed the topic "Psychology and Its Applications in Disaster Risk Management" and featured guests Prof. Dr. Nebi Sümer, Faculty Member at Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Malkoç, Dean of Medipol University Faculty of Human and Social Sciences and Head of Psychology Department, and Prof. Dr. Nuray Karancı, Faculty Member in the Psychology Department at TOBB ETÜ. Sabancı University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Nebi Sümer stated in his remarks at the seminar: "In disasters, psychology typically comes to mind in the context of psycho-social support during response. However, the universally recognized disaster management model has 4 phases: Risk and damage reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery. Each of these is related to psychology. Without appropriate norms and understanding through behavioral change, communities cannot reduce risk and damage, will not prepare for earthquakes, timely response cannot be provided to those affected by earthquakes, and recovery work cannot be followed through if communities are to stand on their feet again. Consequently, the backbone of disaster risk management is based on the application of psychology."

60 Percent of Women, 41 Percent of Men Report High or Very High Impact from Earthquake

Pointing out the enormous destructive impact of the earthquake that occurred on 6 February, Prof. Dr. Nebi Sümer stated: "In early to mid-March, one month after the earthquake, a comprehensive earthquake study was conducted by a research organization in which I also participated. According to official figures, there are 51,000 deaths, and the number of injured is unknown but estimated to exceed 100,000. We experienced an incredibly massive disaster. According to the survey, one in every four people in Turkey, 27 percent, say I lost a relative, friend, family member, or acquaintance in the earthquake zone. This is a very large figure." Prof. Dr. Nebi Sümer, noting that they also examined the psychological impact of the earthquake, continued: "There is a psychological scale that measures the impact of such major events. Typically, within what we call the active period of one month, the impact decreases. It is high only in those directly exposed. Here the situation is much more catastrophic. Among residents in five provinces in the earthquake zone, 61 percent showed high or very high levels of earthquake impact according to exposure scale items. That is, they cannot get the thought out of their mind. They are trying to avoid it or feel disturbed because they are hyper-aroused. 60 percent of women and 41 percent of men report high or very high impact from the earthquake. These are incredible figures. A month of crying is not enough for this. If the essence of the issue is that there is no psychological preparedness, the earthquake deeply affects society," he said. "Construction Engineers Should Also Take the Hippocratic Oath" In her remarks at the seminar, Prof. Dr. Nuray Karancı, Faculty Member in the Psychology Department at TOBB ETÜ, pointed out that earthquake fear should not diminish in order to encourage greater precautions, stating: "The earthquake that occurred in Kobe, Japan in 1995 is very similar to the Istanbul earthquake we experienced in 1999. The Japanese are said to be well-prepared, but they were not prepared in the Kobe earthquake. Fires broke out and there were significant losses. The Japanese then built a beautiful museum there. So that the trauma is not forgotten; so that our tendency to demonstrate rational behavior, to be prepared, to build safe buildings continues. The suffering and trauma we experience certainly ease, but earthquake fear should not diminish. Let us fear, so that we do something. Fear is not a bad emotion because it alerts us: There is a problem here, I should build stronger structures. Construction engineers should actually take the Hippocratic Oath too, what they do is very important; but in the process there is the engineer, the municipality, and the property owner. There is a chain of responsibility here." Prof. Dr. Gökhan Malkoç, Dean of Medipol University Faculty of Human and Social Sciences and Head of the Psychology Department, who attended the seminar, spoke on behalf of the Psychologists Association about their experiences in the earthquake zone, stating: "Generally, before we go to the field and conduct a study, we prioritize data-driven intervention programs, and for this reason, we set out with a team of 6 people as routine work. We encountered massive destruction. We saw that the earthquake has a physical magnitude and also a psychological magnitude, and the psychological magnitude was really very large. We wanted to ask about life even in places where there was no destruction. In Samandağ Vakıflı Village, where there was not much destruction, families sent almost all of their children to Istanbul out of fear. Wherever we went, whichever city we visited, we saw a different story. But most importantly, there were coordination and organization problems."