In the wake of the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye, concerns have been raised over the apparent lack of support from international organizations in the crucial debris removal and waste disposal processes. While Türkiye has a history of extending assistance to disaster-stricken regions until they fully recover, similar support from global organizations seems to be lacking.
Countries like Libya and Morocco have benefited from Türkiye's unwavering commitment to aiding regions affected by disasters. However, reports suggest that international entities such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA) did not allocate funds to Türkiye at par with those provided to nations like Chile, Ecuador, Indonesia, the U.S., Japan and Russia following previous earthquake occurrences.
Experts have emphasized that successful debris removal management demands significant financial resources, with billions of dollars needed to achieve desired outcomes. The perceived lack of international support has left Türkiye facing substantial challenges in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Addressing this issue, Baran Bozoğlu, president of the Climate Change and Policy Research Association, offered insights during an evaluation session with journalists. Bozoğlu acknowledged that the Turkish government and international organizations responded swiftly after the earthquake, saving many lives. However, he raised concerns about the inadequacy of international support for debris removal efforts.
"No country can fully prepare for managing the volume of debris from disasters such as the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake," Bozoğlu stated. He revealed that the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change's Department of Zero Waste Practices, and the Department of Circular Economy and Waste Management had initiated evaluations on how to manage Türkiye's reconstruction and waste management. Various approaches were developed, but the sheer magnitude of the earthquake's aftermath has left a funding gap. Bozoğlu stressed the critical need for international support in this regard.
Highlighting the unprecedented volume of waste generated by the earthquake, Bozoğlu noted: "Among this waste, there are items of economic value, including metals, electronics and tires. Simultaneously, there is contaminated waste mixed with hazardous chemical substances, which we can tag as hazardous waste." He pointed out that some of this waste could be repurposed as aggregates for construction, but mismanagement posed risks to groundwater, streams, soil and agricultural areas.
Bozoğlu concluded with an appeal for international organizations to step up their support, stating: "We see that international organizations have allocated almost no budget for our country in relation to waste management. Türkiye requires not only technical support for environmental rehabilitation, pollution monitoring, waste disposal, economic reintegration and rehabilitation but also administrative and economic support. We expect international organizations to break their silence on this issue and invite all international organizations to contribute to this vital field."
