Living with Earthquakes in Nepal (IMPACTS) Case Study - H. E.

Question 1

On average how many major earthquakes does Nepal experience and of what approximate magnitude are they?

Answer 1

Two magnitude 7-8 Mw earthquakes and one +8 Mw earthquake every 80 years

Question 2

What is the main issue with the earthquake records in Nepal compared to countries with similar earthquake vulnerability like Japan or Indonesia?

Answer 2

They are much less complete as small seismic events often go unrecorded

Question 3

Which two plates are under Nepal? What type of boundary is it?

Answer 3

Indo-Australian plate converging with the Eurasian plate

Question 4

Why does Nepal’s geological structure mean it is at greater seismic risk?

Answer 4

Pre-historic lakes filled many valleys, resulting in hundreds of meters of relatively soft sediment at depths of up to 600m. As seismic waves pass through this material, liquefaction can be a large hazard

Question 5

When was the Gorkha earthquake? Where did it occur?

Answer 5

25th April 2015, 90km NE of Kathmandu

Question 6

What magnitude was the Gorkha earthquake and its aftershocks?

Answer 6

7.8Mw, 51 aftershocks equal to or greater than 5Mw, 5 above 6Mw and one 7.3Mw

Question 7

What were two hazards caused by the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 7

• Avalanches including on Everest

- Many landslides caused

Question 8

How many injuries and fatalities were there in Nepal due to the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 8

22,000 injured, 8,800 fatalities

Question 9

How many were killed in countries other than Nepal due to the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 9

160 including 20 on Everest

Question 10

How many people were displaced due to the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 10

2.8 million from the Kathmandu Valley with 473,000 houses destroyed

Question 11

How many people were in need of food aid after the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 11

1 million

Question 12

What was one of the most disturbing social impacts of the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 12

An increase in the trafficking of women and girls from poor families to South Asian brothels

Question 13

Which group was most impacted by the Gorkha earthquake and why?

Answer 13

The lower-caste Tibeto-Burman as they often live on the higher slopes in the Himalayas, therefore the landslides made receiving aid near impossible

Question 14

How did social norms disadvantage women receiving aid?

Answer 14

Men controlled the aid so single women were discriminated against

Question 15

Why is it difficult to ascertain the economic impact of the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 15

A lack of reliable data, partly due to the country’s poverty, makes it difficult to assess the impact on the economy

Question 16

What was the estimated impact on Nepal’s economy?

Answer 16

US$ 10 billion

Question 17

Why was the earthquake’s impact on tourism so problematic after the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 17

Tourism is 10% of Nepal’s economy, and as Everest had to be closed for the 2015 climbing season the sector suffered greatly

Question 18

How much money was donated by the Asian Development Bank and why was this not helpful?

Answer 18

US$ 200 million, this increased national debt increased as Nepal lacked the capital to cope

Question 19

How did the Gorkha earthquake impact the Nepalese food supply long term?

Answer 19

The quake disrupted planting season before the arrival of the monsoon causing long-term food insecurity

Question 20

How did Nepal’s political landscape suffer as a result of the Gorkha earthquake?

Answer 20

The already unstable country faced coups and assassinations in the following turmoil and this undermined the country’s progress towards democracy