CGP Seismic Hazards- Impacts & Responses

• Seismic hazards

  Hazards caused by earthquakes and related events
• Primary and secondary impacts of seismic events

  • Damage to people and property
  • Damage to buildings and infrastructure
  • Leaks of chemicals or radioactive material
  • Fires started by damaged gas and electricity lines
  • Disruption to food, freshwater, and energy supplies
  • Political unrest and debt from recovery costs
• Short-term responses to seismic hazards

  • Rescuing people from collapsed buildings
  • Evacuating people from high-risk areas
• Long-term responses to seismic hazards

  • Preventing development in high-risk areas
  • Building protective infrastructure like sea walls
  • Installing early warning systems
  • Developing emergency response plans
  • Designing buildings to be earthquake/tsunami resistant
• The Kashmir earthquake happened on 8th October 2005
• The earthquake occurred where the Indian plate is being forced under the Eurasian plate
• The earthquake had a magnitude measured on the Richter scale
• Impacts of the Kashmir earthquake

  • Around 80,000 people died and hundreds of thousands were injured
  • Around 3 million people were made homeless
  • Water pipes and electricity lines were broken, cutting off supplies
  • Landslides buried buildings and people, blocked roads, and destroyed telephone lines
  • Diarrhoea and other diseases spread due to lack of clean water
  • The total cost was estimated at around US $55 billion
  • Whole villages and thousands of buildings were destroyed or severely damaged
  • The total cost of rebuilding was estimated at US $3.5 billion
• Response to the Kashmir earthquake

  • International aid and equipment like helicopters and rescue dogs were brought in
  • But poor roads meant help didn't reach many areas for days or weeks
  • People had to be rescued without any equipment or help from emergency services
  • About US $5.8 billion of aid was provided by the international community
  • Tents, blankets and medical supplies were distributed within a month, but not to all areas
  • The Pakistani government set up agencies to coordinate the response
  • Around 40,000 people were relocated to a new town
  • Government money was given to people to rebuild their own homes
  • Training has been provided to help rebuild more earthquake-resistant buildings
• The secondary impacts caused by seismic hazards can be more dangerous than the primary impacts