Business World Prepares for Anticipated Earthquake

BUSINESS SECTOR UNITES FOR EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS The business world came together for earthquake preparedness. TÜSİAD, TÜRKONFED, SEDEFED and Business for Goals (B4G), with financial support from UPS Foundation, organized a series of workshops. Following workshops conducted with leading companies and civil society organizations from sectors critical to earthquake response—"transportation and logistics", "energy", "information and communication technologies", "finance and insurance" and "food and agriculture"—the "Istanbul Earthquake Scenario Business Sector Preparedness Report" was published on the anniversary of the 17 August earthquake.

Twenty-two years have passed since the 17 August 1999 Marmara Earthquake, one of the greatest disasters in Turkish history. While the pain of that earthquake remains with us, the successive disasters we have experienced recently—earthquakes, fires and floods that have caused significant loss of life and economic damage—once again demonstrated the importance of disaster preparedness. TÜSİAD and TÜRKONFED organized a series of workshops in February and March to raise business sector awareness against the anticipated major Istanbul earthquake, strengthen private sector coordination capacity and establish a roadmap for strategic crisis management. The collaboration of TÜSİAD, TÜRKONFED, SEDEFED and Business for Goals (B4G), with financial support from UPS Foundation, saw leading sector companies and civil society organizations participate in workshops initially targeting transportation and logistics, energy, information and communication technologies, finance and insurance and food and agriculture sectors—all critical in earthquake response. The outcomes of these workshops, the first output of steps taken in this area, were shared in the "Istanbul Earthquake Scenario Business Sector Preparedness Report" on the anniversary of the 17 August earthquake. Three strategic steps for the business sector The report identified strategic priorities for the business sector regarding earthquake response: a-strengthening support mechanisms to assist public institutions when needed, b-developing practical operational crisis management tools for businesses, particularly SMEs, and c-strengthening inter-sector coordination for better resource utilization.

The report adopted a three-pillar approach encompassing "life safety", "ensuring business continuity" and "supporting the city's economic recovery", and also emphasized the importance of coordination during crises. Work to develop the business sector's crisis management capacity and establish sector roadmaps will continue through collaboration between TÜSİAD and TÜRKONFED. The Istanbul Earthquake Scenario Business Sector Preparedness Report can be accessed here.