Case study - NEPAL

• PRIMARY EFFECTS

  • 9000 people died and 20,000 injured - over 8 million people affected
  • 3 million people were left homeless when home were destroyed
  • Electricity and water supplies, sanitation and communication affected
  • 1.4 million people needed food, water and shelter in the days and weeks after the earthquake
  • 7000 schools destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed
  • international airport become congested as aid arrived
  • 50% of shops destroyed, affecting food supplies and people‘s livelihoods
  • cost of damage = USD$5 billion
• SECONDARY EFFECTS

  • ground shacking triggered landslides and avalanches, blocking roads and hampering relief efforts
  • avalanches on Mt Everest killed at least 19 people - the greatest loss of life on the mountain in a single incident.
  • an avalanche in Langtang region left 250 missing
  • a landslide blocked the Kali Gandaki river, 140km (90 miles) north west of Kathmandu - many people evacuated in case of flooding
  • earthquake occurred on land so did not cause a tsunami
• IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

  • International aid quickly arrived from UK, India and China. They bought search and rescue teams, medical support and essential supplies. Over £87 million was raised in by aid donations
  • helicopters were used in search , rescue and supply distribution. Those left stranded by avalanches were rescued by helicopter, and communities cut off by severe landslides were given vital supplies
• IMMEDIATE RESPONSES

  • Half 1 million tents were provided after the earthquake, many from UNICEF. These tents provide the shelter for the homeless, and also use as temporary classrooms and healthcare facilities as the strong after-shocks prevented people from using buildings. Field hospitals were set up as hospitals were extremely overcrowded with casualties.
  • 300,000 people fled from the capital to seek shelter elsewhere e.g with family
• IMMEDIATE RESPONSES

  • media was used as a means of communication for those affected. Facebook introduced a safety feature after the earthquake which allows people to mark themselves as ‘safe‘ to family and friends.
• LONG-TERM RESPONSES

  • 2019, 3/4 of homes that were destroyed from the earthquake were either fully rebuilt or under repair. Over 7000 schools needed to be rebuilt or repaired.
  • The government introduced stricter building codes with better earthquake resistance
  • In June 2015, Nepal hosted an international conference to seek advice and financial support from other countries to help their recovery process
  • August 2015 repairs to Everest camp and mountain routes meant the area could be reopened to mountaineers. All the tourist sites were opened overtime, but the tourism sector.
• LONG-TERM RESPONSES

  • landslides were cleared and roads were repaired. Temporary lakes formed by landslides that blocked rivers had to be carefully drained such as the Kali Gandaki river
  • In September 2015, Nepal suffered severe shortages of fuel, medicine and earthquake relief materials of India imposed the blockage at the Nepal – India border, stopping goods from entering Nepal