Nepal Earthquake 2015

• 25th April 2015, 7.8Mw earthquake, population - 0.25 million, life expectancy - 69 years, GDP 2010 USD 18.25 billion
• Situated where the Indo-Australian plate meets the Eurasian plate, liquefaction is a major hazard due to there being lots of soft sediment in the lakes
• Over 600,000 houses were destroyed and around 800,000 people were displaced
• 27,000 classrooms destroyed and 3 million made homeless
• Rice seed ruined, causing food shortages and income loss
• Ghodatabela was covered in material, the landslide killed 250 people
• 9000 killed, 22,000 injured
• More than 25% of Nepal's population was affected by the event and its aftermath, hospitals were overwhelmed
• A loss of USD 5 billion, loss of productivity in the workforce cost £350 million, foreign tourist arrivals dropped by a third
• Landslides and avalanches destroyed forests and farmlands, carcasses and debris contaminated water sources, landslides increased risk of flooding
• Landslides can be managed - afforestation programmes can stabilise slopes
• The National Society for Earthquake Technology is a Nepalese NGO - they map high risk shake zones, introduce building codes and organise an annual Earthquake Awareness Day
• USAID trained over 900 locals to build earthquake-resistant buildings
• The UN and EU, Indonesia, Japan, the UK, and NGOs such as the Red Cross, Christian Aid and Shelter were also involved (over 330 agencies)