hazards - earthquake case study (Nepal) Flashcards
what was the name of the earthquake in Nepal?
.gorkha
when did the gorkha earthquake in Nepal happen?
.april 2015
what was the magnitude of the gorkha earthquake in Nepal?
.7.8
where did the gorkha Nepal earthquake happen?
.80km northwest of Kathmandu
what plates were involved in the gorkha earthquake in Nepal?
.indian and Eurasian plate colliding into each other
what made Nepal so vulnerable to the earthquake?
.nepal is a lic with a high population density
.Kathmandu lies in a valley and is built on river sediments which amplifies the shaking and possible lead to liquefaction
.infrastructure is fairly poor with roads often unsurfaced, drinking water supplies vulnerable to
contamination
where do most of the population live which makes them vulnerable to being blocked in by landslides?
.remote villages, only accessible by steep mountain passes
what were the social primary impacts of the gorkha earthquake in Nepal?
.9,000 deaths and 23,000 injuries
.one of the biggest challenges that communities are facing since the earthquake is accessing clean drinking water because the
earthquake caused water sources to close up
what were the economic primary impacts?
.700,000 damaged or destroyed houses in Nepal
. $5.17 bn dollars of damage
what was a secondary impact of the earthquake?
.landslides -200 people were killed in the Langtang landslide, 5000 landslides which blocked vital roads, cutting off villages
.avalanches -19 people were killed and 120 injured from an avalanche at the Mt. Everest base camp
what were the impacts beyond Nepal?
.in India, more than 78 people were killed and 560 were injured.
.in China, 25 people were killed and 383 injured
.20 major hydroelectric power plants in the region were damaged
why did scientists say the earthquake could of been worse?
.studies found that the ancient sediments the city is built on actually absorbed rather than amplified the shocks -this was not expected
what were the social immediate responses to the earthquake?
.90% of Nepal’s military forces were deployed in the initial search and rescue effort
.United Nations immediately released $15 m for emergency relief
what were the long term social responses?
.winter survival kits distributed
.1 year after the earthquake 4 million people were still estimated to be in substandard temporary shelters
.3 months after the quake 530,000 people were still deemed to be acutely “food insecure”
what were the long term economic responses ?
.UN launched an appeal for $415m to provide emergency relief over the three months following the quake
.oxfam set up “cash for work” schemes in which local people are paid for reconstruction work eg -reconstructing the
network of trails which connect remote rural villages
