Chile and Nepal

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP)


  A measure of the total wealth of a country
• Human Development Index (HDI)

  A measure of the development of a country
• Chile's Gross Domestic Product: 298.2 billion USD, 38th in the world (out of 193 countries)
• Chile's Human Development Index: 41st in the world (out of 187 countries)
• Nepal's Gross Domestic Product: 29.04 billion USD, 109th in the world (out of 193 countries)
• Nepal's Human Development Index: 145th in the world (out of 187 countries)
• Earthquakes in Chile and Nepal

  • Both countries have suffered severe earthquakes
  • The earthquakes had different effects and different responses
• Chile Earthquake occurred


  27 February 2010
• Chile Earthquakewas

  • Measured 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
• Nepal Earthquake occurred

  25 April 2015
• Nepal Earthquake

  • Measured 7.9 magnitude
  • Caused by the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate beneath the Eurasian plate (destructive plate margin)
  • Epicentre was around 80km away from Nepal's capital, Kathmandu
  • Originated only 15km below the surface
  • Triggered huge avalanches and landslides in the Himalayas
• The Chile Earthquake killed around 500 people and injured 12,000
• The Chile Earthquake affected 800,000 people overall
• Many buildings were destroyed in Chile, including 22,000 homes, 4,500 schools, 53 ports and 56 hospitals. The Santiago airport was also badly damaged.
• Water, electricity and communications were lost in many places in Chile
• Many well-constructed buildings were left standing after the Chile earthquake
• The estimated cost of the Chile earthquake was USD$30 billion
• Landslides triggered by the Chile earthquake damaged 1500km of roads and blocked roads for weeks, cutting off rural communities and slowing relief efforts
• The Chile earthquake triggered a tsunami which devastated coastal towns, destroyed ports, and also hit other Pacific countries
• Fires broke out in buildings in Chile due to burst pipes and other complications, including a fire in a chemical plant near Santiago which led to evacuations
• The Nepal Earthquake killed 5,000 people and injured 20,000
• The Nepal Earthquake affected 3 million people (around 10% of Nepal's population)
• 3 million people were left homeless in Nepal after their homes were destroyed
• 7,000 schools were destroyed in Nepal, and 50% of all shops were destroyed, leading to food and supply shortages
• Power, water and communications were severely affected in Nepal
• 1.4 million people in Nepal were urgently in need of food, water and shelter
• The cost of damage from the Nepal earthquake was estimated at around USD$5 billion
• Many historical sites and landmarks in Nepal were damaged or destroyed
• Landslides and avalanches triggered by the Nepal earthquake caused widespread damage to infrastructure, blocked roads, and trapped people under snow and rubble
• The avalanches on Mount Everest killed at least 19 people, and avalanches elsewhere left hundreds missing
• Landslides blocked rivers in Nepal, such as the Kali Gandaki River, and people had to be evacuated in case of flooding
• There was no tsunami in Nepal as the earthquake started on land
• Within 24 hours in Chile, temporary repairs were made to the Route 5 north-south highway, connecting the capital to other areas and allowing response teams to travel to more remote communities
• Temporary shelters were set up for the homeless in Chile, with the Chilean government immediately distributing 5,000 temporary shelters and then a further 30,000 temporary emergency shelters
• International aid groups also set up emergency response units for healthcare and emergency supply distribution in Chile
• Helicopters were used in Nepal for search and supply distribution, and those stranded by severe landslides were rescued by helicopter and given vital supplies
• Half a million tents were provided after the Nepal earthquake, many from UNICEF, which provided shelter for the homeless and were used as temporary classrooms and healthcare facilities
• Field hospitals were set up in Nepal as hospitals were extremely overcrowded with casualties
• Power and water was restored to 90% of homes in Chile within 10 days
• USD$40 million was raised in relief funds in Chile after a national appeal, which went towards reconstruction and emergency aid