Eco-friendly schools to open for second semester

Forty-two percent of the "green schools" reconstructed with 1.5 billion euros from the European Investment Bank, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the Council of Europe Development Bank will start the school season following the mid-term break. As part of the project for the fortification of educational institutions against earthquakes, the reconstructed or renovated schools will accomodate 53,000 students. Under the Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project (ISMEP), managed by the Istanbul Governorate, 51 percent of the investments have been allocated to fortify schools. The construction covers a total of 790 schools. Equipped with state-of-art technology, the schools are described as "green buildings." By the end of this year, almost 100 schools will be ready. Project manager Gökhan Elgin said that the schools located in earthquake zones or along fault lines have been given priority. "We are working to offer earthquake-resistant schools to 1.5 million students. New schools are designed with high technology and larger capacity. They are also environmentally friendly. Thanks to newly applied systems, the buildings will not require maintenance or paint for a long period. We have been using resistant and durable materials that reduce the expenditure," he explained.