(E) Japan & Nepal

• Japan, March 2011

  • GNI 24th out of 192 countries
  • HDI 19th out of 189 countries
• Nepal, April 2015

  • GNI 163rd out of 192 countries
  • HDI 142nd out of 189 countries
• Cause of earthquake in Japan

  • Sudden slippage between the North American Plate and the subducting Pacific Plate
• Cause of earthquake in Nepal

  • Indo-Australian Plate colliding with the Eurasian plate
• Size of the earthquake in Japan:

  • Magnitude 9.0, shallow focus (30km)
• Size of earthquake in Nepal:

  • Magnitude 7.9, very shallow focus (15km)
• Primary effects in Japan:

  • Violent ground shaking caused many injuries and some deaths as buildings collapsed
  • Thousands of homes destroyed
  • Power, water, sanitation, and communications disrupted
• Primary effects in Nepal:

  • 9000 killed, 20000 injured and 3 million homeless
  • Widespread destruction of buildings and infrastructure - 3 million people left homeless
  • Power, water, sanitation and communications cut
  • US$ 5 billion damage
• Secondary effects in Japan:

  • 10 m-high tsunami waves flooded 560 km^2, caused 18,000 deaths, and left 500,000 homeless
  • Significant destruction of port facilities, infrastructure, and homes, especially in Sendai
  • Explosions at Fukushima nuclear power plant led to evacuation of 100,000 people
  • US$ 235 billion damage
• Secondary effects in Nepal:

  • Communities cut off by landslides and avalanches - hampering relief efforts
  • Avalanches on Mount Everest killed at least 19 people
  • An avalanche in the Langtang region left 250 missing
  • Flooding threatened following a landslide blocking the Kali Gandaki River - many people evacuated