Nepal Earthquake - Case Study

background (4)

• 25th april 2015 in Ghorka

• magnitude 7.9

• destructive - the Indo-Australian plate subducted under the Eurasian plate

• severe ground shaking, landslides & avalanches

primary effects (4)

• 7000 schools destroyed & hospitals overwhelmed

• electricity, water supplies, sanitation & communication affected

• cost of damage estimated at over US $5b

• 3 million left homeless

secondary effects (3)

• ground shaking triggered landslides & avalanches, blocking roads & hampering relief efforts

• avalanches on Mt. Everest killed 19+ people

• avalanche in Langtang region left 250 people missing

immediate responses (5)

• international search & rescue teams rescued 16 survivors & found 178 bodies

• water & medical support arrived

• emergency food kits were provided for 8000 people & shelter materials for 20,000 families

• field hospitals were set up

• helicopters rescued many people caught in avalanches on Mt. Everest

long term responses (4)

• by end of 2015 most access roads had been repaired & landslides cleared

• in 2018 Nepal adopted a new National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy to increase future resilience

• the Nepal Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Project was supported by US $700m

• UNESCO is working with the government to restore 700 damaged temples, palaces & museums