Investigation of Disaster Volunteering Systems in Terms of Institutional Structure and Aspects Open for Improvement

Öz

Disaster volunteering systems are fundamental to social resilience in disaster prevention, response, and recovery processes. Although disaster management strategies vary worldwide, the organization, training, and sustainability of volunteers are critical issues for all systems. The United Nations, the European Union, and various international organizations have developed policies encouraging disaster volunteering. In this context, international documents such as the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) emphasize the need to include disaster volunteers in community-based disaster management processes. Disaster volunteering has been institutionalized in various ways in different countries. While volunteers are actively included in pre-disaster preparation processes in countries such as Japan, the USA, and Germany, volunteering in Turkey gained significant momentum after the 1999 Marmara Earthquake and focused more on post-disaster intervention. The February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes revealed that Turkey's disaster volunteering system has strengths and aspects that need development. This study aims to provide concrete suggestions based on national and international good practice examples to make disaster volunteers more effective and the volunteer system sustainable. The experience and data obtained are primarily based on the field applications of the disaster volunteer system in Turkey in the context of the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. In addition, structured volunteer models in countries such as Japan, the USA, and Germany were examined comparatively; institutional differences regarding volunteering functions before, during, and after the disaster were analyzed. The study was conducted in the light of qualitative document analysis, current statistical data, and international reports; by determining the current weaknesses of the system, holistic solution suggestions were presented for increasing volunteer participation, strengthening educational processes, and developing psychosocial support structures.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Disaster Awareness
• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Disaster Volunteerism
• Sustainable Development
• Volunteer Coordination

Afet Gönüllülük Sistemlerinin Kurumsal Yapılanma ve Gelişmeye Açık Yönleriyle İncelenmesi

Öz

Afet gönüllülük sistemleri, afetlerin önlenmesi, müdahale ve iyileştirme süreçlerinde toplumsal dayanıklılığı artıran temel unsurlardan biridir. Dünya genelinde afet yönetimi stratejileri farklılık gösterse de, gönüllülerin organizasyonu, eğitimi ve sürdürülebilirliği tüm sistemler için kritik bir konudur. Birleşmiş Milletler, Avrupa Birliği ve çeşitli uluslararası kuruluşlar, afet gönüllülüğünü teşvik eden politikalar geliştirmiştir. Bu bağlamda, Hyogo Çerçeve Eylem Planı (2005-2015) ve Sendai Afet Risk Azaltma Çerçevesi (2015-2030) gibi uluslararası belgeler, afet gönüllülerinin toplum temelli afet yönetimi süreçlerine dahil edilmesi gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır. Farklı ülkelerde afet gönüllülüğü çeşitli şekillerde kurumsallaşmıştır. Japonya, ABD ve Almanya gibi ülkelerde afet öncesi hazırlık süreçlerine gönüllüler aktif olarak dahil edilirken, Türkiye’de gönüllülük 1999 Marmara Depremi’nden sonra önemli bir ivme kazanmış olup daha çok afet sonrası müdahaleye odaklanmıştır. 06 Şubat 2023 Kahramanmaraş depremleri, Türkiye’nin afet gönüllülük sisteminde hem güçlü hem de geliştirilmesi gereken yanların olduğunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı; afet gönüllülerinin daha etkin ve gönüllülük sisteminin ise sürdürülebilir hale getirilmesi için ulusal ve uluslararası iyi uygulama örnekleri üzerinden somut öneriler sunmaktır. Elde edilen tecrübe ve veriler, öncelikle 6 Şubat 2023 Kahramanmaraş depremleri bağlamında Türkiye’deki afet gönüllülüğü sisteminin sahadaki uygulamalarına dayanmaktadır. Ayrıca Japonya, ABD ve Almanya gibi ülkelerdeki yapılandırılmış gönüllülük modelleri karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiş; gönüllülüğün afet öncesi, sırası ve sonrasındaki işlevlerine ilişkin kurumsal farklar analiz edilmiştir. Çalışma, nitel doküman analizi, güncel istatistiksel veriler ve uluslararası raporlar ışığında yürütülmüş; sistemin mevcut zayıflıkları belirlenerek gönüllü katılımının artırılması, eğitim süreçlerinin güçlendirilmesi ve psikososyal destek yapılarının geliştirilmesine yönelik bütüncül çözüm önerileri sunulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Afet Farkındalığı
• Afet Gönüllülüğü
• Afet Risk Azaltma
• Gönüllü Koordinasyonu
• Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma

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