The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions (R/D) with the Government of the Republic of Turkey on February 18 in Ankara City, the capital of the Republic of Turkey, agreeing to an implementation framework for the technical cooperation project “Capacity Building for Rapid Screening of Building Vulnerability”. The R/D was signed on the day of the meeting. The R/D was signed by Mr. Suat Yildiz, Secretary General of the Union of Local Authorities of Turkey, and Mr. Shusaku Kawai, Deputy Director General of JICA Turkey Office.
Signing Ceremony
Turkey, like Japan, is an earthquake-prone country. Both countries have helped each other whenever earthquakes have occurred. For example, after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, Turkey dispatched rescue teams and provided relief supplies, and after the earthquake in southeastern Turkey in February 2023, Japan dispatched international emergency aid teams and provided other emergency assistance.
This project will contribute to the promotion of reconstruction and seismic retrofitting of private buildings vulnerable to earthquakes in Turkey, which is an earthquake-prone country like Japan, by providing municipalities with a simple screening of the vulnerability of private buildings to earthquakes. By addressing the common issue of earthquakes, the project will contribute to strengthening friendly relations between the two countries. It is also expected that the building inspection technology and seismic retrofitting methods developed in Japan will be disseminated.
A summary of the business is as follows
Capacity building project for rapid screening of building vulnerabilities
Project for Capacity Building on Rapid Screening Method
Country (region covered)
Republic of Turkey (Turkey)
Business Objectives
This project aims to improve the capacity of local governments in Turkey to promote seismic retrofitting and reconstruction of private buildings vulnerable to earthquakes by improving/expanding the methodology for rapid screening of building vulnerability, developing a set of measures for local governments, and applying the methodology to pilot municipalities, thereby contributing to the promotion of seismic retrofitting and reconstruction of vulnerable buildings. This will contribute to the promotion of seismic retrofitting and reconstruction of vulnerable buildings.
Scheduled implementation period
36 months
Implementing Agency
Union of Municipalities of Turkey
Contribution to the SDGs
Goal 9 (Create a foundation for industry and technological innovation)
Goal 11 (Create a community where people can continue to live)
© Source JICA