Nepal Earthquake 2015 Case Study Flashcards
What is the population of Nepal?
28.5 million
Where is Nepal located?
Between China in the north and India in the south.
What is the population density of Nepal?
202 people per km^2
What is the capital of Nepal?
Kathmandu
What plate margin is Nepal on?
A collision plate boundary
What is the rate at which the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates are colliding?
45mm a year
What is the GDP of Nepal?
$21.2 billion
Where does Nepal rank in terms of poverty?
It is the 19th poorest country in the world
When did the earthquake happen?
25th April 2015
What was the MMS of the earthquake?
7.8
Where was the epicentre?
It was 80km north-west of the capital in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Where could the ground shaking be felt?
China, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan
On what mountain were there avalanches?
Mount Everest
How many people were killed as a result of the Mount Everest avalanche?
21 people
Where was the focus?
15km below the surface
Was the focus deep or shallow?
Shallow
In what other country did buildings collapse?
Bihar, India
What percentage of Nepal’s population was affected by the earthquake?
20%
How many people were affected by the earthquake?
8 million
How many people died?
9,000
How many people were injured?
20,000
How many people were left homeless as a result of the earthquake?
3million
How many schools were destroyed by the earthquake?
7000
Which airport became congested?
Tribhuvan International Airport
Why did Tribhuvan International Airport become congested?
Due to the arrival of aid
What percentage of shops were destroyed?
50%
How many people needed food, water and shelter immediately after the earthquake?
1.4 million
Why did relief take so long?
Widespread landslides caused road blockages.
Which river was affected by a landslide?
The Kali Gandaki River
Where is the Kali Gandaki River located?
140km north west of Kathmandu.
Why did people living near the Kali Gandaki River have to be evacuated?
There was a risk of flooding due to a landslide.
When was the main aftershock?
12/5/2015
What was the magnitude of the after the aftershock on the 12th May?
7.3
In which direction is the Eurasian plate moving?
North
In which direction is the Indo-Australian plate moving?
North-east
List 5 social impacts of the earthquake?
Deaths Injuries mean that people may not be able to work Homelessness Power cuts Access to clean water
How many hydroelectric power dams were damaged?
14
What proportion of Nepal’s GDP was the economic cost of the earthquake?
Almost half
What was the overall cost to Nepal?
$10 billion
What percentage of Nepal’s GDP is from agriculture?
35%
Why was the agricultural sector vulnerable?
There may have been problems in the cereal and paddy fields.
What are 3 other economic impacts of the earthquake? (3)
Damage to infrastructure
Loss of tourism
Unemployment
How might rivers have been affected by the earthquake?
Rivers carry debris which may cause the water level to rise or even change the course of the river.
Why would rivers and lakes flood?
Due to landslides
In how many districts were forest resources damaged?
31
What were the other environmental impacts of the earthquake? (4)
Built landscapes destroyed
Damage to wildlife habitats
Loss of local plant species
Instability of rock
What was sent to help from many other countries?
Search and rescue teams as well as water and medical aid.
What was pledged by many countries?
Financial support
What was used to rescue climbers on Mount Everest?
Helicopters
How many tents were needed to provide shelter for the people that were made homeless?
Half a million
Why did field hospitals need to be set up?
Hospitals became full
What was used to aid search and rescue operations?
Social media and satellites which mapped damaged areas
How many people migrated from the capital after the earthquake?
300,000
Why did 300,000 people migrate from the capital?
To seek support from family and friends
How many people from the Red Cross carried out evacuations, first aid and search and rescue operations?
8000
What did Nepal hold in June 2015?
An international conference
Why did Nepal hold an international conference?
To seek technical and financial support from other countries in regards to reconstruction after the earthquake.
What is stricter as a result of the earthquake?
Building controls
What are the plans for homeless people?
Thousands will be rehoused.
What will happen to the damaged homes?
They will be repaired
What happened to the 7000 schools?
They were rebuilt
What did the BBC say to criticise the reconstruction?
A year later “virtually none of the 80,000 buildings it’s reckoned the earthquake destroyed have been rebuilt”
What percentage of homes were rebuilt a year after the earthquake?
5% according to the Daily Mail
How much money did Nepal offer for rebuilding homes?
$308,880
How many Nepalese families received reconstruction funding?
661
How many families were still living in high-altitude temporary shelters in the winter of 2015?
200,000
How many people were pushed into poverty because of the earthquake?
700,000
Why did lakes that were formed by landslides have to be cleared?
There was a flood risk
What % of the country’s GDP is from tourism?
4%
Why were tourism facilities repaired quickly?
So that tourism wasn’t reduced as much.
What had been reopened by July 2015?
Some heritage sites
When did the Mount Everest base camp and trekking routes reopen?
August 2015
What happened to the trekking routes on Everest?
They were repaired and more were added.
What did relief efforts used to be based on?
Eye witness reports and satellite images which had little use.
What are now used to locate people?
Mobile phone networks
What type of mapping was also used after the Nepal earthquake?
Crisis mapping
What did crisis mapping involve?
Collating data which could then be analysed by different people to help plan emergency work.
How many people were marked safe using the Facebook safety Check?
7 million
How many people were alerted of their friend’s and family’s safety as a result of the Facebook Safety Check?
150 million people
What are charities now doing?
Preparing for the future as it is possible that another earthquake could occur.
What approach is the Red Cross now using to prepare for future hazardous events in Nepal?
“Build back better”
What has the Red Cross done to help with the “build back better” approach?
It has trained masons and carpenters in constructing buildings and water supplies that will be more resistant to the effects of an earthquake.
What is the Red Cross’s work in Nepal supported by?
A £4.4 million grant from the UK
What does Nepal have every year?
An Earthquake Safety Day
When is the Earthquake Safety Day?
In January
What does the Earthquake Safety Day focus on?
Remembering those who have died in earthquakes in Nepal, earthquake safety and awareness. There are also earthquake drills.
What is carried out in schools regularly?
Earthquake drills
Who organises the Earthquake Safety Day?
National Society for Earthquake Technology- Nepal (NSET)
What type of organisation is NSET?
An NGO
How many national programmes have been completed by NSET in regards to natural hazards?
28
How many regional programmes have been completed by NSET in regards to natural hazards?
16
How many programmes are currently ongoing as a result of NSET?
9- these are both regional and national
Give an example of one of NSET’s ongoing programmes
School Earthquake Safety Programme
What does the School Earthquake Safety Programme aim to do?
Raise awareness of the earthquake risks and train masons in using earthquake resistant technology.
What does NSET have that has been used in other countries?
A Shake Table
Where else has the Shake Table been used?
India and Afghanistan
What does the Shake Table do?
It shows the difference between different construction methods.
