Turkey, due to its geological, topographical and meteorological conditions, is often faced with major natural disasters. In those regions which experience natural disasters, losses are increasing more and more because of population density and extent of economical activities. In order to create a more resistant society against natural disasters, it is necessary to be successful in every phase of the disaster management. Nowadays, phase of disaster preparations, mitigation and especially planning process are becoming really important. In the global world, archive is a very important knowledge which sheds light on the future from the past. Decision-makers, researchers and executives should build their policies and strategies on this knowledge. General Directorate of Disaster Affairs is targeting to contribute this process by developing National Disaster Archive System. Financing facilities is planned within the context of MEER project of World Bank and has been initiated giving priority to earthquakes, landslides, floods, avalanches, rock falls which affect Turkey most. In this scope, data in papers, which are in the archive of the GDDA, have been scanned and transferred to computer. Applications of disaster archives in the world have different structures. Disaster is differently defined in each country and the duties related with disaster are assigned to different institutions. Therefore, their archives are dissimilar. Developed countries are interested in disasters that occurred in their vicinity or in the world and placed them to their archives, because they can affect their countries economically and socially. CRED (The Centre for Research of the Epidemiology of Disasters) EM-DAT (Emergency Disaster Database) ADRC (Asian Disaster Reduction Center) CDD (Canadian Disaster Database) (EMA- Emergency Management Australia) Objectives National Disaster Archive System of Turkey aims to serve the data about the disasters that occurred in Turkey in digital environment for users, which will use national archive system; especially decision makers, operators and researchers, in their studies as well as public opinion for better understanding of the risks that are faced with. National Disaster Archive System of Turkey is established to transfer experiences, studies carried out and results of disasters occurred in Turkey to users by using information processing facilities. The system is based on a querying database. This database uses Enterprise Database software and has spatial database properties. This database can be also queried via map. Therefore, NETCAD software which is a national software for Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques is preferred. The system is designed in such a way that different database and GIS software can be added in future if necessary. The basic ingredients of the software to create and operate NDAST are operating system, database management system, archive application software, geographical information system software, document management software and the softwares used to perform instructional works. Hardwares are server and user computers, network system that makes connection between them and instruments attached to them. The general structure of the system is shown in the figure below. National Disaster Archive System of Turkey (NDAST) is also targeting to share the information collected by GDDA personnels at the disaster areas with related persons and institutions in intranet environment. Then it will forward the final outputs to members of the system.

Criterions are determined for disasters to be placed in National Disaster Archive System of Turkey (Table). Basic criterions in other disaster archive systems have been examined and the ones that are assumed to be most appropriate for Turkey have been selected. Existence of any criterion will cause this disaster event to be placed in archive system. The criterions in the system will be changed in time if necessary. Data in National Disaster Archive System of Turkey LABORATORY DIVISION Eskişehir Road 11km.Lodumlu / ANKARA Phone: / MINE ACCIDENTS OTHER DISASTERS TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENTS FIRE EPIDEMIC DISEASE EPIDEMIC DISEASE STORM HAIL FROST DROUGHT FLOOD FOREST FIRES HURRICANE LIGHTNING EARTHQUAKE LANDSLIDE ROCK FALL AVALANCHE Regions GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF DISASTER AFFAIRS EARTHQUAKE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT Search By Province Detailed Information and Related Publications Accessed By the Search for 18 July 1894 İstanbul Earthquake