Haiti 2010 earthquake and Tōhuku 2011 earthquake case studies

What are our case studies for earthquakes in both developing and developed countries?

Haiti 2010 (developing) and Tōhuku 2011 (developed).

Describe the 2010 Haiti earthquake

• Magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti on 12 January 2010.

• 230,000 were killed

• Around 1.5 million were made homeless

• Around 300,000 buildings collapsed

• Estimated 8-14 billion $ in damages.

• Shows poor preparation

How did the government prepare for earthquakes in Haiti via building design?

• Buildings poorly constructed with weak concrete and little to no reinforcement.

• Few regulations or standards enforced.

• Meant 300,000 buildings collapsed and contributed to the high death toll.

How did the government prepare for earthquakes in Haiti via remote sensing and GIS?

• No GIS beforehand

• Some used after to locate survivors and coordinate aid.

How was monitoring, early warning, and evacuation used to prepare for the Haiti 2010 earthquake?

• Few monitoring or warning systems in placed

• No organised evacuation

• Death toll increased.

Describe the role of emergency aid in the 2010 Haiti earthquake

$13.5 billion in donations and pledges given in total, mostly from USA and EU.

Search and rescue teams - specialists were sent in from many countries like Mexico (sent 160), to find, heal and assist survivors and those injured in the earthquake.

Describe the role of shelter and supplies in the Haiti 2010 earthquake

• Shelter and homes provided to 34,000 people

• Water infrastructure built by the World Food Programme to provide safe water for 340,000 people

• Mexico sent over 20 tonnes of first aid supplies and satellite devices, water treatment plants, and electricity generators.

• HOWEVER: Cholera outbreak killed around 4500 people and over 500,000 were made sick due to confusion in relief effort.

• Not all pledged funds actually reached Haiti.

How did risk assessment and hazard mapping improve after the earthquake and what does this mean?

• New seismic hazard maps produced exclusively for Haiti

• A risk management project funded by the world bank gave Haiti remote sensing technology and hydrological risk models. This can help against all types of hazards - Haiti is vulnerable to hurricanes, flooding and landslides too.

• Both of these encourage new infrastructure building to avoid at risk areas, and allow the Haiti government to put evacuation plans in place in at risk zones, as well as knowing where to prioritise aid next time.

• The government carried out a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, laying the foundations for a long term development plan.

Describe the role of rebuilding programmes in the Haiti 2010 earthquake

Recovery plan called PARDH aimed to make Haiti into an emerging country by 2030.

Over 7000 builders trained in better techniques, and now many homes include earthquake resistant features like reinforced columns.

Early warning systems put in place

Overall, healthcare, construction and disaster preparedness improves but overall the earthquake negatively impacted Haiti.

Describe the 2011 Tōhuku earthquake

• Event: Magnitude 9.0 earthquake followed by a massive tsunami (up to 40m high) on 11 March 2011.

• Deaths: Approximately 15,894 (mostly from the tsunami).

• Homeless: Around 450,000 people.

• Buildings: Over 120,000 buildings totally collapsed.

• Cost: Estimated $235 billion (the costliest natural disaster in world history).

• Context: Shows high preparation but overwhelming natural force.

How was Japan prepared for the earthquake via building design?

• Design: Strict "Earthquake-proof" building codes. Use of base isolation (rubber shock absorbers) and cross-bracing to allow buildings to sway.

• Enforcement: Highly regulated and strictly enforced laws.

• Result: Most buildings survived the initial earthquake; the vast majority of destruction was caused by the subsequent water (tsunami).

How was Japan prepared for the earthquake via remote sensing and GIS?

• Pre-event: Extensive GIS mapping of inundation zones (areas likely to flood).

• During/After: Satellites used immediately to map the extent of the tsunami flood to guide rescue helicopters.

• Real-time data allowed the government to identify which roads were still passable within hours.

Describe the role of monitoring, early warning, and evacuation in the 2011 Tohuku earthquake

• Monitoring: Japan has the world’s most advanced seismic network (over 1,000 seismometers).

• Warning: J-Alert sent warnings to millions of mobile phones 60 seconds before the shaking started. TV and radio automatically switched to emergency broadcasts.

• Evacuation: Well-practiced drills in schools and offices. Tsunami walls (up to 12m) were in place, though the wave eventually overtopped many of them.

Describe the role of emergency aid in the 2011 Tohuku earthquake

• The Japanese Red Cross received over $1 billion in donations.

• 100,000 members of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces were deployed immediately for search and rescue.

• Rescue teams came from over 20 countries (e.g., South Korea, Australia, USA).

Describe the role of shelter and supplies in the 2011 Tohuku earthquake

• Shelter: Evacuation centres were set up in schools and community halls with emergency food/blanket stockpiles already in place.

• Energy: The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown caused a massive energy crisis; temporary housing had to be built quickly for those in the "exclusion zone."

• Supplies: Supply chains were efficient, though the destruction of ports made delivery difficult in the first 48 hours.

Describe the role of risk assessment and hazard mapping in the 2011 Tohuku earthquake

. Evacuation Route Planning

• Point: GIS hazard maps identify "high ground" and safe zones, which are then marked on street signs to show residents the fastest escape routes.

2. Land-Use Zoning

• Point: Risk assessments dictate where to build; for example, hospitals and schools are zoned for higher ground to ensure they remain functional during a flood.

3. Coastal Defence Design

• Point: Scientists use historical wave height data to map potential impact zones, determining exactly how high sea walls need to be to protect coastal towns.

Describe the role of rebuilding programmes after the 2011 Tohuku earthquake

The Role of Rebuilding Programmes

• Sea Walls: Construction of a new 400km chain of sea walls, some 12–15m high.

• Relocation: Entire coastal towns (like Minamisanriku) were rebuilt on higher ground or man-made plateaus.

• Economy: Massive investment in "smart" reconstruction to revitalize the region's economy while ensuring it is safer for the next event.