Nepal Earthquake

Question 1

When and where did the earthquake occur?

Answer 1

Location and nature
In the morning of 25th April 2015 NE of Kathmandu in Nepal

Question 2

What was the magnitude of the quake and the depth of the focus?

Answer 2

Main quake was 7.8 (an aftershock was 7.3)
Focus was very shallow (15km deep)

Question 3

Outline at least four different factors that make the area particularly vulnerable to earthquakes – social, economic, physical, and political

Answer 3

• It is an LIC with a very low GNI - less than $3000 per capita (economic)
• An area of rapid population growth with high population density in Kathmandu valley (social)
• Building construction and infrastructure are of a poor quality e.g., building codes not enforced, unsurfaced roads, power cuts (economic and political)
• Kathmandu is built on river sediments (unconsolidated material) – this amplifies seismic waves (physi

Question 4

How many people died/ were injured because of the earthquake in Nepal

Answer 4

9000 deaths, 23,000 injuries

Question 5

How many homes were damaged or destroyed in Nepal?

Answer 5

700,000

Question 6

What primary hazard caused most of the fatalities and where were most people killed?

Answer 6

Collapse of unreinforced buildings – in rural areas

Question 7

Which secondary hazards in the Nepal earthquake resulted in significant loss of life and injury? Give details.

Answer 7

Landslides – there were 5000 landslides, 200 died in the Langtang landslide alone
Avalanches – e.g., 20 killed at Mt. Everest base camp

Question 8

What was the economic cost of the earthquake in Nepal

Answer 8

Over $5billion in damage

Question 9

What secondary impact became a big challenge in rural areas?

Answer 9

Access to clean water – land shifts closed up existing water sources that communities relied upon

Question 10

Loss of tourism revenue was a short- term loss. Which employment sector suffered in the longer term?

Answer 10

Agriculture

Question 11

Impacts were felt beyond Nepal. Give details

Answer 11

78 killed in India and 25 in China
20 HEP stations in the region damaged

Question 12

What surprised scientists about the way the sediments beneath Kathmandu behaved in the earthquake? How was this beneficial?

Answer 12

The sediments absorbed the energy of the seismic waves rather than amplifying it as expected. This resulted in less damage to buildings in the city

Question 13

There were fewer landslides than expected? What were the possible reasons for this?

Answer 13

• The rock in the region was stronger than expected
• Vegetation on the slopes (including rhododendron
forests) helped stabilise slopes

Question 14

Give an example of Nepal’s immediate response

Answer 14

90% of the country’s military forces were involved in search and rescue

Question 15

Give examples of international aid (relief) during the Nepal earthquake

Answer 15

The United Nations release $15million for emergency relief and launched an appeal for more
• NGOs like UNICEF provided emergency supplies – water purification tablets, hygiene kits, tarpaulins, and nutrition supplies
• Counties including the UK donated substantial aid e.g., the UK gave over £70 million in total , 2/3s of which was donated from the public

Question 16

Give examples of expert help offered to aid relief and rehabilitation

Answer 16

• UK sent 100 search and rescue responders and medical experts
• UK sent Gurkhas from the British Army
• Médecins San Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders)
helped evacuate people by helicopter
• Oxfam provided training to carpenters, masons and
women to construct temporary shelters

Question 17

Give examples of the role played by technology in the relief effort. Nepal earthquake

Answer 17

Scientists from the USGS asked people to download the LastQuake app to help in the collection of valuable data on the earthquake – given the lack of formal monitoring stations in the region
• The GIS tool ‘Crisis mapping’ was used to help coordinate the response

Question 18

How did international links and agencies help with reconstruction?

Answer 18

• Oxfam set up ‘cash for work’ schemes – local people were paid for construction work e.g., repairing trails between villages in rural areas and laying new water pipes
• A World Bank grant allowed the government in Nepal to promise 200,000 rupees to 100,000 families to rebuild their homes
• Family members working abroad e.g., in Dubai, sent back valuable remittances

Question 19

Give evidence that the response effort was limited in its success

Answer 19

So many people to leave Kathmandu immediately after the quake that the roads became blocked
• Winter survival kits promised by aid agencies didn’t arrive in time
• 3 months after the quake over 500,0000 people were ‘food insecure’
• World Bank money for families to rebuild homes stalled die to political gridlock with little getting through to families