Introduction – History

• The Earth Sciences Group within the body of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality City Planning Directorate was established in October 1994 in order to produce base data for the Zoning Plans.
• The Earth Sciences Group was converted to Ground and Earthquake Investigation Directorate according to Metropolitan Municipality Law No. 3030, which is still abolished and the decision of the Metropolitan Municipality Council dated 07/06/1996 and numbered 549.
• Also its name was changed to Earthquake and Ground Investigation Directorate in 2006.

Duties of the Directorate

• It is in charge and authorized to make, have it made, carry out and develop reports, surveys, maps, plans and projects for earthquake and ground investigation within the jurisdiction defined by the Metropolitan Municipality Law No. 5216 and Law No. 5393.
• To make or have it made the reports and maps which are necessary for development plans, urban transformation, any existing or new construction or settlement areas in terms of geological, geophysical, geotechnical, geomorphological, and to reveal the disaster and seismicity situations.
• To carry out or have work done on the determination of urban risks, the generation of hazard and risk maps of the disaster,
• To give opinions on the suitability for settlement, geological, geophysical and geotechnical reports prepared as a basis for the development plans, coming from municipalities, other public institutions and organizations, private person or legal entities.
• To conduct plans, projects, applications, research, examination, development, monitoring and evaluation studies for ground and ground movements, earthquake, disaster hazards and risks by cooperating with universities or other scientific institutions, as well as public institutions and organizations
• To conduct generaration of a GIS (Geographical Information System) database and to carry out digitization on the subjects falling within the scope of its duties, powers and responsibilities,
• To organize national and international panels, information festivals, conferences, seminars, etc.
• To carry out or have it done microzonation studies,
• To conduct topographic slope analyzes
• To conduct studies on current or possible mass movements,
• To make the reports and maps of the suitability for settlement in terms of geological, geophysical and geotechnical basis, which are the basis of the zoning plans.

Relevant Law, Circular and Regulations

• Metropolitan Municipality Law No. 5216 (2004)
• Municipality Law No. 5393 (2005)
• Zoning Law No. 3194
• Disaster Law No. 7269
• Construction Inspection Law No. 4708
• Slum Law No. 775
• Istanbul Zoning Regulation
• Transformation of Areas Under Disaster Risk Law No. 6306