H.E. Dr. Mehmet Güllüoğlu, President, Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and Mr. Hans Guttman after the meeting in Ankara

ADPC Executive Director, Mr. Hans Guttman, met with the President of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) H.E. Dr. Mehmet Güllüoğlu, to discuss potential areas of cooperation, including the advancement of sustainable development in the region through disaster risk reduction and climate change adaption.

AFAD is the premier government institution of Turkey that works to prevent disasters, minimize disaster-related damages, plan and coordinate the post-disaster response, and promote cooperation among various government agencies. AFAD currently has 81 provincial branches across Turkey in addition to 11 search and rescue units.

Hans Guttman lauded the efforts of AFAD under the leadership of H.E. Dr. Mehmet Güllüoğlu and discussed bringing Turkey’s technical expertise, especially in the area of earthquake risk mitigation, to other countries in Asia. “We would be keen to benefit from Turkey’s experience in disaster risk management and facilitate cooperation among countries in Asia through the platform of the Regional Consultative Committee on Disaster Management (RCC)”, Hans said.