Case Study

• Primary effects of the Nepal earthquake:

  • 9,000 deaths
  • 22,000 injured
  • 8 million affected (1/3 of the population)
  • 4 million people left homeless
  • Power, water, communication severely affected
  • 2 million people without clean water
  • Roads and bridges destroyed
• Secondary effects of the Nepal earthquake:

  • Landslides blocked roads, delaying aid and damaged infrastructure
  • Avalanches (18 killed) damaged infrastructure and trapped people under snow and rubble
  • Typhus outbreak killed more than 13 people
• Nepal immediate responses:

  • Helicopters used for search, rescue and supply distribution
  • UNICEF provided 1/2 million tents
  • 300,000 people fled from the capital to seek shelter
  • Efforts to rescue people were slowed by a lock of tools.
  • Charities provided aid, but delivery was slowed by blocked roads
• Nepal Long-term responses:

  • Landslide was cleared
  • Roads were repaired
  • 3/4 of destroyed homes built/under repare (2019)
  • $500 million from world bank group
  • Water supplies restored (took long time)
  • NGO's working with residents to increase disaster resilience
• Chile primary effects:

  • Around 500 killed
  • 12,000 injured
  • 800,000 people affected
  • Cost of earthquake = US$30 billion
  • Water, electricity, communication lost
  • Santiago airport badly damaged
• Chile secondary effects

  • Landslide and Tsunami
  • Fire in chemical powerplant (evacuation)
  • 1,500km long of blocked and damaged roads (Cut off rural communication)
• Chile immediate responses:

  • Emergency field hospitals set up
  • Temporary shelters
  • Power and water supplies were restored to 90% of homes within 10 days
  • Main road was cleared in 24 hours
• Chile long-term responses:

  • National housing reconstruction plan to help nearly 200,000 households
  • Strong economy on copper exports (not much foreign aid needed for rebuild)
  • Built houses on stilts (tsunami)