Author
BridgetteExpertise
Geography Lead
Remember with earthquakes preparation is essential because at the moment they are impossible to predict.
Earthquake Preparations in Nepal
| Preparations Before the Earthquake | Issues with the Preparations |
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In 1997 the Nepali government created the Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project (KVERMP) this included; The School Earthquake Safety Programme (SESP) provided funding to schools for earthquake drills Training to make buildings more resistant to earthquakes Earthquake Safety Day |
This was mainly in urban areas and so people in rural areas did not have drills or knowledge about what to do when the earthquake struck There are 121 recognised languages as well as Nepali (the official language) which are spoken in Nepal this makes communication of earthquake advice and education difficult |
| Allocation of 83 open spaces around Kathmandu to be used to as camps for displaced populations where they would be supplied with shelter, food and medical services |
There were not enough supplies to begin with |
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Improved 1994 National Building Code and training building inspectors |
The building code was often ignored and so many buildings were still not earthquake resistant |
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In 2009, the government set up a National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management In 2010 a National Emergency Operations Centre was set up to coordinate the humanitarian response and restoration of the infrastructure |
Due to political instability these were not as effective as they should have been |
| Nepal Red Cross Society maintained 12 warehouses with stocks of emergency supplies | These were not enough for the scale of the disaster |
Earthquake Preparation in Japan
| Preparations Before the 2011 Earthquake | Issues with the Preparations |
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Earthquake drills are practiced regularly so that people know exactly what to do during an earthquake event and immediately afterwards |
People did know exactly what to do in the earthquake but were not as prepared for the tsunami |
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Households are encouraged to have an emergency survival bag packed and ready at all times |
Many people do not have an emergency survival bag |
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Many buildings are designed to be earthquake-resistant Building codes were further tightened after the Kobe earthquake in 1995 Over 80% of buildings in Tokyo are earthquake-resistant |
Many buildings survived the earthquake but not the tsunami |
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Sea walls between 3-10m built in some coastal areas Breakwaters off the coast at Kamaishi and Ofunato Bay |
The tsunami overtopped the sea walls |
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Trains automatically stop when an earthquake is detected, to avoid derailments Nuclear power stations automatically shut down |
There was an issue restoring the cooling system at the Fukushima nuclear power plant leading to radioactive contamination in the surrounding area |
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There is a tsunami warning service with 180 seismic stations and 80 water-based sensors Warnings are issued via: - phone - television - sirens - loudspeakers The warning system costs about US$20 million a year |
People ignored the tsunami warning as they thought they would be protected by the sea walls |
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After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.