Reflecting on the 6 February 2023, Türkiye-Syria earthquake: key lessons on disaster risk, response, and resilience

On 6 February 2023, two earthquakes (Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6) affected 11 provinces in Türkiye, causing extensive damage across an area of roughly 120,000 km2 and disrupting critical infrastructure and services. This paper critically examines key lessons from the Türkiye–Syria earthquakes, providing a reflective, practice-oriented assessment. It brings together field observations, official reports, and after-action reviews to set out the main patterns in risk, response, and early recovery. We centre the analysis on four pivotal strands: vulnerabilities in buildings and critical facilities; the operational performance of preparedness under winter conditions and sustained aftershocks; coordination and information flows during the first 72 h; and the application and limitations of national and international disaster-risk frameworks, with implications for recovery and reconstruction. The paper argues that embedding post-disaster lessons into institutional learning through improved risk governance, integrated and interoperable data systems, and sustained community-based preparedness is critical to disaster risk reduction initiatives. It also highlights the importance of cost-effective seismic engineering solutions, interoperable digital platforms, and anticipatory governance to enhance resilience to compound and cascading hazards. The Türkiye–Syria earthquakes underscore that while natural hazards cannot be avoided, disasters remain preventable through science-informed, inclusive, and sustained investment in risk reduction. While centred on Türkiye, the recommendations are readily implementable in regions facing similar seismic risk through locally led, phased programmes adapted to the context.