Case Study Cyclone Nargis

Question 1

Location?

Answer 1

Myanmar (Burma)

Question 2

When?

Answer 2

2nd May 2008

Question 3

Category?

Answer 3

3-4

Question 4

Deaths?

Answer 4

84,500 killed and 53,800 went missing

Question 5

Cost?

Answer 5

$10 billion

Question 6

Maximum wind speed?

Answer 6

150mph

Question 7

Primary effects buildings?

Answer 7

75% of buildings collapsed - on delta 95%

Question 8

Other primary economic effects?

Answer 8

50% livestock killed and 65% rice grown paddy fields flooded by salt water (maj. of pop worked on rice fields so income loss)

Question 9

Primary: No. of people affected?

Answer 9

2.4 million (densely populated area)

Question 10

Primary: homeless?

Answer 10

1.5 million became homeless and many children orphaned

Question 11

Other primary social effects?

Answer 11

Lack of food

Question 12

Primary: storm surge and flood water levels?

Answer 12

Storm surge of 7.6 metres and flood water reached 40-50km inland

Question 13

Primary: other effects on environment?

Answer 13

Rice fields flooded and 75,000 hectares of mangrove swamp forest destroyed

Question 14

Secondary: unemployment?

Answer 14

It rose as 75% of pop worked on agriculture

Question 15

Secondary: other economic effects?

Answer 15

Starvation and hunger meant food prises rose due to high demand

Question 16

Secondary: deaths?

Answer 16

98,000 died from secondary causes e.g. dirty water contaminated with sewage and debris and people vulnerable to diseases as they were hungry and thirsty

Question 17

Secondary: environmental?

Answer 17

Salty water made soil infertile and mangroves destroyed meant natural coastal defence was reduced

Question 18

Response: why so slow?

Answer 18

Government refused to let aid workers into country and restricted international aid as they were scared of uprising

Question 19

Immediate response: how much aid, when?

Answer 19

By May 19th, gov let aid in ($17 million aid from UK - food, medical supplies)

Question 20

Long term response: homes?

Answer 20

1 year on, only 17,000 of the 450,000 homes had been rebuilt

Question 21

Long-term response: why so slow?

Answer 21

Economic situation (LEDC) so they had limited money to spend on recovery

Question 22

Long-term: other?

Answer 22

3 year recovery and relief operation run by Myanmar Red Cross (NGO)