Turkiye’s integrated approach to flood risk reduction is showing significant results, with river rehabilitation measures helping reduce flood related costs by up to 95% in some high risk areas.
The country Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has increasingly shifted its focus from responding to disasters to preventing and reducing risks before they escalate. A Department of Climate Related Disaster Risk Reduction was established in January 2024 to strengthen the integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
The approach has been particularly important in Türkiye Black Sea region, where intense rainfall, steep terrain, landslides and floods pose major risks.
In April 2024, AFAD and the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) signed a protocol aimed at reducing flood and flash flood risks. Under the programme, 111 excavators were deployed across 14 provinces to carry out river rehabilitation and related preventive works.
Between May 2024 and March 2026, work was completed on 326 river sections covering 2,556.15 km. More than 25 million cubic metres of sediment were removed, equivalent to over 2.5 million truckloads.
The work included clearing debris, removing sediment and widening riverbeds to improve water flow capacity and reduce the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall.
A comparative assessment from Artvin and Rize found that flood related costs per unit of rainfall declined substantially following the interventions. The reported reductions reached 95% in Artvin and 73% in Rize, resulting in savings worth millions of euros.
The results highlight the potential economic benefits of investing in disaster prevention rather than relying mainly on emergency response and post disaster recovery.
Officials and researchers have suggested expanding the approach to other flood prone river basins and urban areas. Future measures could include incorporating climate projections into river planning, combining structural measures with nature based solutions, strengthening local government capacity and linking early warning systems with physical flood control measures.
The Turkiye experience demonstrates how coordinated planning early intervention and climate adaptation can strengthen resilience while reducing the economic impact of extreme weather events.