Post-Disaster Housing Preference Analysis: The Case of Adıyaman Province

Abstract

Many earthquake disasters have occurred in the Anatolian geography, and it can be said that the most significant devastation occurred during the 6th February 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes. Due to the occurrence of two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, a total of 11 provinces were affected by the disaster. During these earthquakes, widespread destruction occurred, and approximately 60,000 people lost their lives in the homes where they felt safest. This marked the beginning of a challenging process in crisis management, necessitating efforts for both the reconstruction of the built environment and the recovery of individuals’ psychosocial well-being. At the same time, the increasing awareness of the relationship between earthquakes, structures, and soil, along with the individual’s own psychological resilience, has been found to influence housing preferences. This study focuses on how the level of resilience of earthquake survivors, measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), has influenced their housing choices, and the results have been analyzed using in-depth interviews as a method to better understand the issue. In the study conducted in Adıyaman province, it was revealed through CD-RISC applications that individuals tend to prefer structures in which they feel safe after experiencing trauma.