Geography; Chile and Nepal case study

• Chile's Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 298.2 billion USD, ranked 38th in the world out of 193 countries
• Chile's Human Development Index (HDI): 41st in the world out of 187 countries
• Nepal's Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 29.04 billion USD, ranked 109th in the world out of 193 countries
• Nepal's Human Development Index (HDI): 145th in the world out of 187 countries
• Earthquakes have affected both Chile and Nepal
• 2010 Chile Earthquake:

  • Magnitude of 8.8 on the Richter scale
  • Occurred on a destructive plate margin where the Nazca plate subducts beneath the South American plate
  • Triggered a tsunami due to plate movement displacing seawater
• 2015 Nepal Earthquake:

  • Magnitude of 7.9
  • Caused by the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate beneath the Eurasian plate
  • Epicentre around 80km from Kathmandu
  • Originated 15km below the surface, leading to strong surface impact
• Primary effects of the Chile Earthquake:

  • Around 500 killed and 12,000 injured
  • 800,000 people affected
  • Destruction of buildings including 22,000 homes, 4,500 schools, 53 ports, and 56 hospitals
  • Water, electricity, and communications lost in many places
  • Estimated cost of USD$30 billion
• Secondary effects of the Chile Earthquake:

  • Landslides damaged 1500km of roads
  • Tsunami devastated coastal towns and destroyed ports
  • Fires broke out in buildings, including a fire in a chemical plant near Santiago
  • Debris blocked roads for weeks, affecting relief efforts
• Primary effects of the Nepal Earthquake:

  • 9,000 killed and 20,000 injured
  • 8 million people affected, with 3 million left homeless
  • Destruction of 7,000 schools and 50% of shops
  • Power, water, and communications severely affected
• Secondary effects of the Nepal Earthquake:

  • Landslides and avalanches caused widespread damage to infrastructure
  • Avalanches on Mount Everest and elsewhere resulted in casualties and missing individuals
  • Landslides blocked rivers, leading to evacuation concerns
• Immediate responses to earthquakes:

  • Chile: Emergency services deployed quickly, international aid received, temporary repairs made to highways, temporary shelters set up
  • Nepal: Search and rescue teams deployed, international aid received, temporary shelters provided, power and water restored to homes
• Long-term responses to earthquakes:

  • Chile: National housing reconstruction plan implemented, stricter building codes introduced, landslides cleared, roads repaired
  • Nepal: International conference held for financial support, repairs to Everest base camp and tourist sites, challenges with fuel and relief material shortages
• A primary effect is one that is directly caused by the disaster, is an integral part of the disaster itself; in the case of an earthquake, it would be the ground shaking, or in the case of a volcanic eruption, lava pouring out of the volcano.
• Secondary impacts are the indirect effects causes by the primary impacts, after the main event - in the coming hours, days and weeks. Earthquakes often trigger tsunamis and landslides hours after the main event - these are secondary impacts.