Haiti earthquake

• Outline the Haiti earthquake.

  • Haiti (LIC)
  • 12 January 2010
  • Conservative plate boundary
  • Magnitude 7
  • 13km deep
  • Epicentre 16km from Port-au-Prince
• What was the cause of the earthquake?

  A slip along an existing fault line.
• Describe the background of Haiti.

  • One of the poorest countries in the world, where remittances make up 32% of the GDP.
  • 40% of Haiti is illiterate.
  • Haiti is extremely vulnerable, as there is poor governance both of a national and regional scale = no preparation.
  • 86% of Port-au-Prince live in slums, which collapsed.
• What were the primary impacts of the Haiti earthquake?

  • 230,000 deaths
  • 1 million homeless
  • 200,000 houses destroyed
  • 30,000 commercial properties destroyed
  • Main port 90% destroyed
  • 8 hospitals collapsed
• Why might there have been so many deaths?

  Potentially due to under education of earthquakes as 40% illiterate, and they frequently experience small earthquakes.
• What were the secondary impacts of the earthquake?

  • 2 million people left without food and water.
  • Outbreaks of cholera due to overcrowding in temporary housing.
  • 1/5 lost their jobs as a result of the earthquake.
• How did Haiti prepare for the earthquake?

  They did not, due to poor governance.
• What were the immediate responses to the earthquake?

  • Damage to port delayed arrival of international aid, complicating rescue efforts (Rescue teams took 2 days to arrive in Haiti).
  • US deployed 10,000 troops to assist in recovery efforts.
  • 235,000 relocated to less damaged cities.
  • 12,000 UN peacekeepers sent to Haiti.
  • £20 million donated by UK government.
  • EU gave $330 million in aid.
• What were the criticisms of the UN peacekeepers?

  A cholera outbreak which killed thousand of Haitians was traced back to a UN peacekeeping base, and it was found that the peacekeepers had brought the cholera bacteria with them from Nepal.

  • The UN did not take full responsibility until 6 years later.
• What were the long term responses to the Haiti earthquake?

  • New homes built to a higher standard. However, 1 year after the earthquake, 1 million people were still living in temporary shelters.
  • 6 months after the quake, 98% of rubble remained uncleared, still blocking vital access roads.
• Why were the casualty rates so high in Haiti?

  • Shallow earthquake depth.
  • Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world.
  • 40% of Haiti uneducated and illiterate.
  • Buildings poorly constructed.
  • Samage to port hindered arrival time of international aid.
• How is climate change impacting seismic hazards?

  • Rising sea levels increase the weight on tectonic plates, which can lead to more underwater earthquakes and potentially stronger tsunamis.
  • A 1-meter rise in sea level could increase stress on subduction zones, where the largest earthquakes occur.