LEDC Earthquake: Gujarat, India 2001 (CS)

Question 1

Knowledge

Answer 1

-Level of Knowledge was not the cause of management failures
-Authorities had knowledge but did not transfer knowledge into practice prior or post event.
-Knowledge:
>Vulnerability Atlas of India (1998) was published by Indian government and marked the Gujarat region as level 5 (highest risk)
>Indian building code (1983) identified need for structural efficiency but was not law, only recommended.

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

-Very low public perception; translated into greater death tolls and damage to infrastructure:
>70% of homes self-built out of poor quality materials
>Lack of legislation enforcing building codes meant 992 schools and Bhuj hospital collapsed
>No Disaster Prevention Day and no government information relay of tectonic movement
>2 days to set up a control room; this lack of coordination meant people in Gujarat were left to perform their own rescue operations.

Question 3

Stage of development

Answer 3

-Serious shortage of money and tech available to create a safe environment is major reason why management failed.

> 1983 codes could not be enforced as it would cost 20-30% more per building. 300,000 collapsed, 1m were damage and 600,000 people homeless as a result.
Cost $5 billion in damages; without aid from NGOs and international aid supply this would have been impossible to meet.
GDPpc is only $3,300.
Other immediate problems such as 22% of people living beneath the poverty line, mass starvation and drought meant India cannot afford to invest as much in prevention or repair.

Question 4

What was the event?

Answer 4

Gujarat, India, 26th January 2001 (magnitude 7.6)