Hazards- China Sichuan cs Flashcards
Date and magnitude
-12 May 2008
- 7.9 Richter scale
Tectonic setting
Epicentre inland in sichuan, shallow focus 19km.
Collision between Indian and Eurasian plates. Indian p moved north faster then Eurasian moved east.
Extent of hazard
-light shaking in coastal cities, like Beijing &shanghai
-shaking felt as far as Taiwan. Thailand felt tremors, six mins after EQ
-EQ caused local landslides and clogging of rivers—> formed 30 quake lakes.
-within days, parts of Beichuan river flooded.
Primary Effects
-87,000 fatalities
-370,000 injured
-18,222 missing
-5300 killed were children. Hit families harder bc of one child policy.
-80% of buildings collapsed
-Wenchuan left school collapsed as monument. Dark tourism-sense of place*
-4.8mn displaced
-Cost $86bn. 2nd most costly EQ.
-Hundreds of dams sustained damage.
-104 major aftershocks within 72 hours. 4 - 6.1 magnitude
-Huge mountain falls/avalanches covered Beichuan. Buried 2/3 of properties.
-Investigations into construction of buildings.
Level of development
Local govt corrupt—> schools weren’t built up. 1976 EQ proofing became law.
Responses
-Response faster in central areas than remote areas.
-Beichuan rebuilt in 3years (EQ-resistant buildings, modern. Effective long term response
-China’s govt quickly deployed 130,000 soldiers and other relief workers to area. Damage from EQ made remote areas hard to reach
-1mn tents placed in flattened ground, but people stayed as long as 6 months. Govt tried to keep hidden but eventually asked for help from Japan and Taiwan. Also help from Russia, and S Korea.
-£100mn+ donated to Red Cross w’in 14 days of quake.
-Grants given to villagers to reconstruct homes, but often not large enough to rebuild in same way or in new location.
Reasons why people live there
-Limited opportunities to move. Movement in China restricted.
-Soils are highly fertile -> job opportunities in agriculture.
-Trust in govt/fear the govt if they decide to leave.
Social impacts
-Juyuan middle school in Dujiangyan city collapsed, killing 900 pupils.
-Govt retracted one child policy for those who lost child and removed fines for those who had two.
-In shifang, chemical plants collapsed, killing hundreds and released toxic ammonia. Power and water supplies cut
-Flooding due to landslides blocking rivers
-Hardest hit= poorer, rural villages with brittle walls and roofs due to low income, limited education.
-People forcibly relocated or told to stay to avoid disease spread.
Economic impacts
-Landslides led to 3500km of roads damaged
-Reconstruction cost= $135bn
-6mn houses damaged
-None of Olympic buildings damaged (aseismic).
-National Development and Reform Commission pledged $147bn as part of reconstruction plan in wake of the EQ.
-Govt prioritised reconstruction of public service facilities, and making them EQ-resistant. Plan to build 169 hospitals and 4432 primary/middle schools in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. Also strengthen 2600 schools.
-3mn homeless will get new houses, welfare programs expanded, job creation scheme on expanded 150km urban corridor
Environmental Impacts
-Geological hazards included avalanches, quake lakes, debris flow covering over 1000km2. Some landslides still active and can be reactivated by heavy rainfall.
-30 quake lakes serious flood risk to those living downstream.
-To rebuild economy, officials said $1.6bn copper refinery would help return jobs, but people protested as fear project will pollute area.
-Future avalanches may yet occur.
Political impacts on country
-China had to request international assistance for first time.
-Chinese govt faced international criticism over previous efforts to restrict journalist access, so allowed journalists to document EQ zone. Led to unprecedented coverage of disaster, leading to outpouring of support.
-China praised for speed and efficiency of relief and construction programme. However, under the propaganda from bureau, parents and volunteers who questioned authorities been detained.
-Immediately post EQ, increase in civil society engagement. Grassroots organisations usually banned, but died down as crisis faded.
-2 Chinese activists who tried to compile list of children killed were beaten and arrested for ‘revealing state secrets’.
-Standing committee of China’s national people’s congress made amendments to law, mitigating and protecting against natural disasters in Dec ‘08. Included higher standards and more EQ proof resistance in public buildings. Schools must add EQ awareness to curriculum.
Attempts to mitigate/modify against vulnerability
-Direct provision of aid by Chinese military was key element. Within 14mins, govt dispatched People’s Liberation Army.
-provision of tents for shelter, eventually upgraded to temporary, prefabricated structures.
-Successful deployment of local qualified volunteers.
-Large quantities of donated foreign meds accumulated in airport warehouse. Pharmacology students sort and translate medical donations.
Attempts to mitigate/modify against losses
-99% of relief and construction projects completed by 2012.
-Banks wrote off debt for suvivors who did not have insurance.
-No large scale migration away as movement of people heavily regulated.
-Traffic sprayed with disinfectant to avoid disease spread.
-Govt provided package of $2400 per family for rebuilding. Rebuilt whole towns and relocated people.
-2010, Tort liability law= developers and contractors responsible for building collapses.
-China EQ Administration spent 2bn Yuan putting early warning system into place to alert of EQ’s seconds b4 they strike. Emergency mechanism worked in 2013 & 2017 EQs. Minimised damage.
-Local govts encouraged couples to have more children, providing free medical services, financial support and fertility treatment. More than 3500 babies born to those who lost child in EQ.
Effect on sense of place
-Beichuan heavily hit by EQ. Inhabited by minority Qiang people.
-Directly after disaster, many shrines and memorials set up by locals. = Place meaning became of intense loss, grief and injustice (corruption of local officials).
-Site of primary school left, where flowers put and insence burned
-Beichuan reframed as dark tourism location. New restaurants and shops built for tourists. Created conflicting sense of place as loss and grief accompanied by commercialisation of ruins.
-New Beichuan town built 19 miles away.
