World Bank Group

06/29/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/29/2022 16:48

World Bank Provides $449 million for Türkiye’s Earthquake, Floods and Wildfires Emergency Reconstruction Project

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2022 - The World Bank today approved a $449.2 million (€420 million) loan to Türkiye to support green and resilient disaster reconstruction in disaster affected municipalities, strengthen disaster resilience, and improve disaster response.

The Türkiye Earthquake, Floods and Wildfires Emergency Reconstruction Project (TEFWER) will support municipalities affected by earthquakes, floods and wildfires in 2020 and 2021 to undertake urgent repairs, structural strengthening, and reconstruction of damaged municipal-owned infrastructure and put in place measures aimed at increasing disaster preparedness and climate adaptation. The Project also includes a mechanism (a Contingent Emergency Response Component) that will allow the government to rapidly reallocate unused project funds to support other municipalities affected by disasters and other crises over the Project's lifetime.

The Project aims to respond to the immediate and most critical reconstruction and rehabilitation needs from recent wildfires, floods and earthquakes as well as proactively supporting urgent measures required to build resilience to disaster and climate risks which are growing in frequency and intensity.

"The World Bank is determined to support Türkiye's actions in response to geophysical and climate change-induced risks faced by people, communities and the economy," said Auguste Kouame, World Bank Country Director for Türkiye.

The Project will directly benefit more than 8 million people who will have access to municipal infrastructure with restored operational capacity and resilience, while more than 17 million people will benefit from improved municipal disaster and emergency response capacity. The Project will also contribute to institutional strengthening for disaster and climate resilience through support to municipalities to integrate green, inclusive and resilient measures into spatial and investment plans.

This Project simultaneously addresses objectives of green and resilient construction in Türkiye, restoring and strengthening or reconstructing disaster affected infrastructure, improving disaster and climate resilience at subnational levels, and strengthening the institutional and technical capacity to scale-up disaster and climate resilient development.

On behalf of co-leads Joanna Mclean Masic and Ahmet Kindap, project team lead Alanna Leigh Simpson said: "We hope this partnership contributes to helping Türkiye's growing cities become more resilient as infrastructure in the cities and their occupants face climate related risks from floods, storms, landslides, extreme heat and cold, and water scarcity."

The project's main components include:

Green and Resilient Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Construction of Municipal Infrastructure and Actions to Strengthen Municipal Resilience: This component will finance demand-driven municipal investments to support green and resilient restoration and reconstruction of damaged municipal infrastructure and actions aimed at increasing municipal response capacity and resilience for wildfires, floods, earthquakes and other disasters.

Technical Assistance to Support Green, Resilient and Inclusive Cities: This Component will support ILBANK and municipalities to build a green, resilient and inclusive future by ensuring that there is sufficient institutional and technical capacity to design, supervise and implement investment projects that integrate disaster and climate risks, to explore options to reduce carbon emissions, to improve air quality and to support residents during disaster response, recovery and reconstruction.

Contingent Emergency Response Component: If activated, this component would support emergency recovery and reconstruction efforts in areas affected by disasters and emergencies during the Project's lifetime.

The Project is aligned with the World Bank Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Türkiye for FY18-23 which sets out the overall objective of supporting Türkiye in achieving more sustainable and inclusive developmentby focusing on growth, inclusion, and sustainability dimensions. The Project contributes to the World Bank climate targets for 2021-2025 by supporting climate mitigation and adaptation in the public building and infrastructure sector.