Earthquake hazard and risk profiling for Syrian refugees at country, city, and neighbourhood levels based on their multi-scalar location choice patterns

Abstract

Earthquake hazards and risks (EHR) for Syrian refugees in Turkey were scrutinised at country, city, and neighbourhood levels in reference to multi-scaled patterns of their location choice (LC). This comprehensive investigation employed thematic analysis to review scholarly studies about the earthquake-related vulnerability and LC of Syrian refugees together with relevant national and international resources subsequent to the February 2023 earthquakes. Findings revealed that multiple LC factors contributed to the refugees’ EHR profile. The absence of national population distribution and refugee resettlement policies, an ineffective and insufficiently inclusive regulatory and mitigation framework to cope with Turkey’s earthquake risks, refugee-related data deficiencies, Syrian refugee influx into earthquake-prone cities, and substandard housing conditions and weak building codes in Syrian settlements may have significantly increased EHR for Syrian refugees in Turkey. This was further compounded by competition for scarce resources, livelihood problems, anti-refugee sentiment, and displacement following the earthquakes.