Local Administrations’ Fight Against the Pandemic: The Example of Izmir Karabağlar District

Finding local solutions to global problems has again shown its significance with the Covid-19 pandemic, which was first identified as a virus in Wuhan, China, and then spread to the whole world adversely affecting life on a global scale. It has become clear that in this period, unlike central administrations who are obliged to develop general policies on a national scale, local administrations set actions based on a certain town’s needs and within their capacities and dynamics, find solutions that are fast, effective, and creative. Local administrations have been working in a variety of fields such as public and environmental health care, reducing the spread of the disease, sanitation, maintaining environmental hygiene, caring for stray animals, protecting its own employees and staff’s health, and in addition to these, they are also performing studies upon preventing the spread of the virus and minimizing or even ending the social-economic impact of Covid-19. Local administrations are also enhancing the dynamics of social solidarity by trying to act together with the public institutions and other non-governmental organizations within the concept of social municipality. It becomes clear that to eliminate the outbreak alongside the problems that occurred with the disease, local administrations must be supported by central administrations. In this study, İzmir Karabağlar district will be presented in terms of its economic, social, and demographic features, and the services the municipality has conducted following the Covid-19 pandemic will be explained.