# CBI and partners visit the Istanbul disaster coordination center, AKOM, for a learning exchange
AKOM, the Istanbul disaster coordination center, is a state-of-the-art facility at the heart of Istanbul’s preparedness and response planning. Employing over 90,000 staff and with operations as diverse as developing and updating the city’s earthquake response plan, training children and civilians on emergency preparedness, retrofitting buildings, roads, and viaducts for earthquake resilience to veterinary services, AKOM also collaborates with Halk Ekmek A.Ş., a bakery capable of producing over 2.5 million breads with high caloric value per day in case of emergency. As such, AKOM is an impressive example of what is possible in disaster management.
Last week, as part of the [CBI Global Meeting 2023 programme](https://www.connectingbusiness.org/news-events/news/cbi-global-meeting-2023), the CBI Secretariat, Member Network representatives, and key partners from 26 countries visited the Istanbul disaster coordination center, AKOM, for a learning exchange.
Participants listen attentively to the presentation given by Mr. Osman of AKOM. Photo: CBI/North ProductionAfter learning about AKOM’s operations, Jerry Chandler, Director General of the Civil Protection, shared his experience with earthquakes in Haiti. After the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010, many supplies were sent to Haiti, but the lack of coordination made it extremely difficult to monitor and properly distribute everything. As such, when the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the south of the country in 2021, followed by Tropical Storm Laura a mere two days later, the situation was very different. The public and private sector worked together with the CBI Member Network in country, [the Alliance for Risk Management and Business Continuity (AGERCA),](https://www.connectingbusiness.org/ourwork/haiti) to coordinate AGERCA’s members and other businesses interested in supporting the humanitarian response.
Jerry Chandler, from the Civil Protection in Haiti, shared their experience with the 2021 earthquake. Photo: CBI/North ProductionThe presentation on Haiti was followed by a Q&A session and a short workshop that dove into key questions of how the private sector contributes to a humanitarian response. The workshop provided an opportunity for the CBI Global Meeting participants to share and exchange previous actions taken and lessons learned with AKOM and their partners, such as KPMG Türkiye.
Given that AKOM works with cities in different parts of the world in an advisory and training capacity, the CBI participants left with knowledge to share back in their own countries and perhaps a future opportunity to collaborate with the hosts.
Butch Meily, from the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, presents the group work back to the plenary. hoto: CBI/North Production