Case Study: Nepal Earthquake
- Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with a GDP of under $1000
- Located between China and India, Nepal is a landlocked country
- In 2015 80% of the population lived in rural, often remote, communities
- In April 2015 at 11.26 am Nepal was struck by an earthquake, magnitude 7.8
- The epicentre was 80 km northwest of Kathmandu in the Gorka district
- The focus was shallow at only 15 km beneath the surface
- Over 300 aftershocks followed the main earthquake
Nepal Earthquake Map
Location of the Nepal Earthquake
Cause
- Nepal is located on a collision boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates
Effects
- Approximately 9000 deaths
- Over 20,000 people injured
- Electricity and water supplies cut
- 7000 schools and 1000 health facilities were damaged or destroyed
- Almost 3.5 million people were made homeless
- Offices, shops and factories were destroyed meaning people were unable to make a living
- UNESCO world heritage sites destroyed as well as many temples
- Loss of tourist income which Nepal is reliant on
- Avalanches on Mount Everest and in the Langtang Valley
- Landslides which blocked roads and rivers
- Damages estimated at between $7 and $10 billion about 35% of the GDP
Immediate responses
- Donations of money and aid from around the world totally $3 billion including $3.3 million from China and $51 million from the UK
- Many countries sent aid in the form of:
- Temporary shelters
- Medicines
- Food
- Water
- Clothing
- Search and rescue teams
- Medical staff
- 90% of the Nepalese army were mobilised
- Tent cities were set up in Kathmandu for those made homeless
- GIS crisis mapping tool was used to co-ordinate the response
- $3 million grant was provided by the Asian Development Bank for emergency relief
Long term response
- Landslides were cleared and roads repaired to restore access to remote rural communities
- Schools were rebuilt
- Earthquake drills were introduced to provide people with education about what to do in the event of an earthquake
- Stricter building codes with more enforcement
- $200 million was provided by the Asian Development Bank for rebuilding
- A new government task force was set up to plan for future earthquake events
Worked example
Case study - a tectonic event that has been hazardous for people
Assess the causes of the tectonic event
(6 marks)
- The example can be anywhere in the world and can be an earthquake, eruption or tsunami
- It must include place-specific details from a case study:
- A weather hazard will be awarded a maximum of 3 marks
Answer:
The Nepal earthquake of 2015 had an intensity of 7.8 and occurred about 76km from the capital city, Kathmandu. The epicentre was shallow around 8km deep, moving the crust around 3m. All these factors led to more intense shaking making the hazard worse and contributing to the death toll of about 9000 people.
The quality of buildings was also an important factor as if the same-sized earthquake had occurred in an AC then fewer people would have died. This is because buildings like the Dharahara Tower were not retro-fitted and collapsed, increasing the death toll.
Exam Tip
When revising case studies it is important to be able to include a variety of facts and figures. These are the place specific details which the examiner will be looking for to award the higher marks. In the case of tectonic events these should include facts such as:
- The location
- Magnitude
- Number of deaths and injuries
- Date of the event
