NEPAL- causes, effects and responses

• Nepal


  • Landlocked country located between China and India in Asia along the Himalayan Mountains
  • LIC country (a low-income country)
  • Economy is predominantly agricultural based, alongside a reliance on tourism
• Nepal has a literacy rate of 63.9%
• 25.2% of Nepal's population lives below the poverty line
• Nepal's GDP is $79.19 billion (95th out of 193 countries)
• Earthquakes in Nepal


  • The Himalayas are among the most seismically active regions in the world
  • Result of an ongoing collision between two continental plates: the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate
  • Plates are being forced up against and under each other, at a rate of about 5cm each year
  • This movement has formed the Himalayan Mountain Range over time
• Nepal has a long history of earthquakes, with major quakes occurring in 1980, 1988, 2011 and the worst in 2015
• Nepal is located in the Himalayas


  Steep terrain, high land and snow limits accessibility and how many roads and other transport routes can be constructed
• Steep terrain and limited transport routes


  Impact hazard risk in the country
• Primary effects of 2015 Nepal earthquake

  • 9000 people killed and 20,000 injured
  • Over 8 million (a third of Nepal's population) were affected
  • 3 million people left homeless
  • Entire villages near the epicentre were completely flattened
  • Electricity, water, sanitation and communications were all affected
  • 1.4 million people needed food, water and shelter
  • 7000 schools destroyed
  • Hospitals overwhelmed, people treated in the streets
  • Kathmandu airport congested with aid
  • 50% of shops destroyed, affecting food supplies and livelihoods
  • Centuries-old buildings destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites
  • 90% of houses destroyed in some rural/remote areas
  • Damage estimated at over US$ 5 billion (around 20% of Nepal's GDP)
• Secondary effects of 2015 Nepal earthquake

  • Ground shaking triggered landslides and avalanches
  • Landslide blocked Kali Gandaki River, people evacuated in case of flooding
  • Earthquake massively reduced tourism, a key industry
  • Crops and harvests reduced or lost, malnutrition got worse
• Immediate/short-term responses to 2015 Nepal earthquake


  • International aid provided by India and China, over $1 billion committed
  • UK sent search and rescue, medical experts, and Chinook helicopters
  • Helicopters rescued people and delivered supplies to cut-off areas
  • Aid workers from charities like Red Cross helped organise relief effort
  • Temporary housing provided, including 'Tent city' in Kathmandu
  • Field hospitals set up to support overcrowded main hospitals
• Long-term responses to 2015 Nepal earthquake

  • New routes established on Mount Everest, mountains re-opened for climbers
  • Roads repaired and landslides cleared
  • Thousands of homeless people re-housed, damaged homes repaired
  • Over 7000 schools rebuilt or repaired
  • New government taskforce created to help deal with future earthquakes
  • Stricter building controls introduced to prevent buildings collapsing
  • People educated on earthquake drills and disaster response
  • Tourist sites repaired and reopened, international media campaigns to encourage tourists
  • Asian Development Bank provided $3 million grant for relief and up to $200 million for rehabilitation