p1 case studies Flashcards
Chile Nepal earthquake
Nepal effects
Nepal Effects:
Date - April 2015
Magnitude - 7.8
Primary effects:
9,000 deaths
20,000 injured
3 million homeless
$5 billion in damages
Secondary effects:
landslides and avalanches caused widespread damage to infrastructure.
19 people were killed in avalanches on mount everest.
Chile Nepal earthquake
Nepal responses
Nepal responses:
Immediate responses:
500,000 tents were provided, largely from unicef.
Over $87 million was raised in aid by donations
Long term responses:
In 2019, 75% of homes that were destroyed were either fully rebuilt or under repair
In june 2015,, Nepal hosted an international conference to seek advice and financial support.
Chile Nepal earthquake
chile effects
Chile Effects:
date - february 2010
Magnitude - 8.8
Primary effects:
500 deaths
12,000 injured
800,000 people affected
$30 billion in damages
Secondary effects:
Landslides damaged 1500 km of roads, whcih cut off rural communities and slowed relief efforts.
tsunami devastated coastal towns and destroyed ports
Chile Nepal Earthquake
chile responses
Chile responses:
Immediate responses:
The government distributed 5,000 shelters and fundraised for an additional 30,000.
$60 million was raised in relief funds after a national appeal
Long term responses:
The government set up a national housing reconstruction plan after one month, pledging $2.5 billion in housing subsidies for 196,000 households.
Thousands of houses were deemed unsafe and were demolished.
Typhoon Haiyan
effects
Typhoon Haiyan effects:
date - november 2013
category - 5
primary effects:
approx 6300 people died most through drowning by the storm surge.
30,000 fishing boats destroyed by the surge
Tacloban airport and port badly damaged
Secondary effects:
14 million people affected, many left homeless and 6 million lost their income.
looting and violence broke out in tacloban city.
shortages of water and food led to outbreaks of disease.
Typhoon Haiyan
responses
Typhoon Haiyan responses:
immediate responses:
International aid agencies responded with food, water and temporary shelters.
Over 1200 evacuation centres set up for the homeless.
Long term responses:
‘cash for work’ schemes where locals were paid money to clear debris
oxfam helped finance replacement of fishing boats
Somerset Level floods
impacts
Impacts of the floods were:
Social:
- over 600 houses flooded
- 16 farms evacuated
Economic:
- Somerset county council estimated the cost of damage at £10 million
- over 1400 hectares of agricultural land was under water for 3-4 weeks
Environmental:
- stagnant water had to be reoxygenated
- a huge amount of debris had to be cleared
Amazon rainforest
causes of deforestation
Causes of deforestation:
Logging:
- timber companies log mahogany and teak for furniture
- selective logging of mature trees is sometimes used
Mineral extraction:
- gold and bauxite are mined in the amazon
- there are now over 50,000 hectares of land being used for gold mining
Energy development:
- dams have been built to generate HEP
- This floods large areas of rainforest and dams don’t last long as turbines get blocked by soil washed down from deforested slopes
Commercial farming:
- cattle farming accounts for 80% of deforestation
- land is also cleared for crops such as: palm oil, bannanas, coffee. and soybean
Subsistence farming:
- generally uses the tradtitional slash and burn technique
- small scale impact, but fires can get out of control, clearing larger areas of land
Svalbard
opportunities for development
Opportunities for development in svalbard include:
Mineral extraction:
- svalbard has rich reserves of coal
- it is the main economic activity
- more than 300 people are employed in the mines and outside
Energy Developments:
- contains Norway’s only coal power station
- controversies over coal means that Svalbard is exploring opportunities for geothermal energy, as it’s located on the top of the mid-atlantic ridge.
Fishing:
- The Barents sea contains 150 species of fish
- Fishing needs to be controlled to protect the fragile environment
Tourism:
- in 2011, 70,000 people visited Longyearben
- the harbour has been enlarged to cater to more cruise ships
- tourism provides the 300 jobs
Svalbard
challenges for development
Challenges for development in Svalbard include:
Extreme Temperatures:
- temperatures fall below -30 degrees, meaning there is a serious risk of frostbite
- people have to dress accordingly, which restricts their movement and ability to work
Construction:
- extreme temps and limited light make construction difficult
- permafrost has to be protected from melting
Services:
- water and sewage pipes are overground for easy maintenance and to protect the permafrost
-neccessary to encourage tourism and for the resident population
Accessibility:
- can only be reached by plane or ship
-almost all transport systems are resticted to longyearben
- There is one airport capable of handling flights from Norway and russia
- there us 50km of road in longyearben but none to serve outlying communities
- most people used snow-mobiles, particularly in the winter months.
Lyme Regis - coastal management
4 phases
Phase 1:
- new sea wall and promenade constructed
- emergency £1.4 million to stabilise cliffs with large nails as well as improved drainage and beach reprofiling
Phase 2:
- £22 million spent on beach replenishment to create a wind sandy and shingle beach to absorb wave energy
- rock armour was also introduced
Phase 3:
- planned to relieve landslides and erosion to the west of the cobb
- plan was axed as the costs outweighed the benefits
Phase 4:
- £20 million spent on a new sea wall in front of the existing one
- rocks were nailed to the cliffs to prevent landslides and protect 480 homes
Jubilee river - flood relief-channel - an example of a flood management scheme
What issues arose from the scheme:
Social:
3000 properties were protected in affluent eton and windsor but less wealthy areas now suffer with much higher discharge due to the merging of the two rivers upstream
Economic:
It is the most expensive flood-relief scheme in the UK. One year after completion, the weirs were damaged and needed to be repared.
Environmental:
The flood of 2014 flooded fields and disturbed habitats
