nepal earthquake 2015 case study pdf

• 0 Shopping Cart

Nepal Earthquake 2015

A case study of an earthquake in a low income country (LIC).

Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, is a low-income country. Nepal is located between China and India in Asia along the Himalayan Mountains.

A map to show the location of Nepal in Asia

What caused the Nepal Earthquake?

The earthquake occurred on a  collision plate boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

What were the impacts of the Nepal earthquake?

Infrastructure.

• Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Changu Narayan Temple and the Dharahara Tower.
• Thousands of houses were destroyed across many districts of the country.

Social and economic

• Eight thousand six hundred thirty-two dead and 19,009 injured.
• It was the worst earthquake in Nepal in more than 80 years.
• People chose to sleep outside in cold temperatures due to the risk of aftershocks causing damaged buildings to collapse.
• Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless, with entire villages flattened.
• Harvests were reduced or lost that season.
• Economic losses were estimated to be between nine per cent to 50 per cent of GDP by The United States Geological Survey (USGS).
• Tourism is a significant source of revenue in Nepal, and the earthquake led to a sharp drop in the number of visitors.
• An avalanche killed at least 17 people at the Mount Everest Base Camp.
• Many landslides occurred along steep valleys. For example, 250 people were killed when the village of Ghodatabela was covered in material.

What were the primary effects of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal?

The primary effects of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal include:

• Nine thousand people died, and 19,000 people were injured – over 8 million people were affected.
• Three million people were made homeless.
• Electricity and water supplies, along with communications, were affected.
• 1.4 million people needed support with access to water, food and shelter in the days and weeks after the earthquake
• Seven thousand schools were destroyed.
• Hospitals were overwhelmed.
• As aid arrived, the international airport became congested.
• 50% of shops were destroyed, affecting supplies of food and people’s livelihoods.
• The cost of the earthquake was estimated to be US$5 billion.

What were the secondary effects of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal?

The secondary effects of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal include:

• Avalanches and landslides were triggered by the quake, blocking rocks and hampering the relief effort.
• At least nineteen people lost their lives on Mount Everest due to avalanches.
• Two hundred fifty people were missing in the Langtang region due to an avalanche.
• The Kali Gandaki River was blocked by a landslide leading many people to be evacuated due to the increased risk of flooding.
• Tourism employment and income declined.
• Rice seed ruined, causing food shortage and income loss.

What were the immediate responses to the Nepal earthquake?

• India and China provided over $1 billion of international aid .
• Over 100 search and rescue responders, medics and disaster and rescue experts were provided by The UK, along with three Chinook helicopters for use by the Nepali government.
• The GIS tool “Crisis mapping” was used to coordinate the response.
• Aid workers from charities such as the Red Cross came to help.
• Temporary housing was provided, including a ‘Tent city’ in Kathmandu.
• Search and rescue teams, and water and medical support arrived quickly from China, the UK and India.
• Half a million tents were provided to shelter the homeless.
• Helicopters rescued people caught in avalanches on Mount Everest and delivered aid to villages cut off by landslides.
• Field hospitals were set up to take pressure off hospitals.
• Three hundred thousand people migrated from Kathmandu to seek shelter and support from friends and family.
• Facebook launched a safety feature for users to indicate they were safe.

What were the long-term responses to the Nepal earthquake?

• A $3 million grant was provided by The Asian Development Bank (ADB) for immediate relief efforts and up to $200 million for the first phase of rehabilitation.
• Many countries donated aid. £73 million was donated by the UK (£23 million by the government and £50 million by the public). In addition to this, the UK provided 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid and eight tonnes of equipment.
• Landslides were cleared, and roads were repaired.
• Lakes that formed behind rivers damned by landslides were drained to avoid flooding.
• Stricter building codes were introduced.
• Thousands of homeless people were rehoused, and damaged homes were repaired.
• Over 7000 schools were rebuilt.
• Repairs were made to Everest base camp and trekking routes – by August 2015, new routes were established, and the government reopened the mountain to tourists.
• A blockade at the Indian border was cleared in late 2015, allowing better movement of fuels, medicines and construction materials.

Premium Resources

Please support internet geography.

If you've found the resources on this page useful please consider making a secure donation via PayPal to support the development of the site. The site is self-funded and your support is really appreciated.

Related Topics

Use the images below to explore related GeoTopics.

Previous Topic Page

Topic home, amatrice earthquake case study, share this:.

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

If you've found the resources on this site useful please consider making a secure donation via PayPal to support the development of the site. The site is self-funded and your support is really appreciated.

Search Internet Geography

Top posts and pages.

Latest Blog Entries

Pin It on Pinterest

• Click to share
• Print Friendly

Content Search

2015 nepal earthquake: m7.6 gorkha earthquake response and early recovery case study - first five months.

• Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative

Attachments

The report focuses on the first five months after the Nepal Earthquake of April 25, 2015. Interviews conducted during the EMI Field Mission from June 14-19, 2015 were supported by extensive desk research conducted by the authors to document pertinent information on the response and early recovery activities involving the Government of Nepal and other stakeholders. The report examines the current legal and institutional framework for disaster risk management in Nepal and highlights its gaps and limitations in the context of the recent disaster. The case study also includes a discussion on opportunities and projections for long-term recovery and reconstruction and incorporates the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction on Reconstruction 2015-2030, which helps to be better prepared and aware for future disasters of such character. DOWNLOAD REPORT HERE

Related Content

Nepal ifrc network mid-year report, january – june 2023 (maanp001), disaster management reference handbook - nepal (september 2023), nepal: hrrp bulletin (31 may 2023), nepal: hrrp bulletin (30 april 2023).

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Nepal: An Earthquake Case Study Report

Looking at the national environment in terms of disaster preparedness for floods, landslides, and earthquakes, there is an overall consciousness on the part of key actors in Nepal working in the fields of disaster management that natural disasters need to be faced with full preparedness, and they are working towards that end. There is also a realisation that natural hazards cannot be avoided, but at least their effects can be minimised if timely measures to mitigate them are taken. The key actors also realise that local communities must be involved in disaster preparedness for pre- and post-disaster activities. The Ministry of Home Affair’s (MoHA) institutional capacity to deal with natural hazards and disaster management should be improved. In doing so, the importance of disaster management should be reflected by giving it more prominence within the institutional structure of MoHA. Hazard mapping as a tool for disaster management is important. Within the country, a system for sharing hazard maps and making them available to all key actors should be introduced. The CNDRC could undertake to do so. Activities and components of the National Action Plan should be mainstreamed into the activities of the relevant implementing organisations working in the field of disaster preparedness.

Related Papers

Golam Rasul

On 25 April, Nepal experienced a catastrophic earthquake that not only took the lives of over 8,000 people, injured over 22,000, and displaced over 100,000, it also affected the livelihoods of over 2.28 million households and pushed an additional 700,000 people below the poverty line. In light of this, ICIMOD, together with the National Planning Commission of the Government of Nepal, has prepared this report to provide insights into how to restore, revive, and revitalize livelihoods focusing on the various socioeconomic challenges towards a strategic framework for designing and implementing actions, particularly those in the 14 most affected hill and mountain areas. This publication aims to complement the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) of the Government of Nepal by providing insights into the livelihood dimensions of the earthquake and its socioeconomic and livelihood impacts. It explores the strategic choices and options for developing resilient livelihoods post-earthquake, and details a number of key elements of a strategy for livelihood recovery to inform the Government of Nepal’s post-disaster policies and strategic plan. It provides guidance towards a long-term strategy for the transition from reconstruction and restoration to sustainable livelihoods that are more resilient to future disasters. It will add value to the existing knowledge base on developing resilient livelihoods post-earthquake, especially in mountain areas. It is envisioned that this report will be beneficial to the Government of Nepal and other development agencies in streamlining development efforts in the process of revitalizing livelihoods and developing resilient communities as the nation rebuilds.

Social Science Baha, SOAS, University of London

Jeevan Baniya , Amit Gautam

The Gorkha Earthquake of 25 April 2015 and its aftershocks shook Nepal devastatingly. It affected 31 districts in the central and western regions of Nepal, of which 14 districts were highly affected and 17 less so. The earthquakes caused the deaths of 8,891 people and the displacement of 188,900, with hundreds still missing. There was extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure, including world heritage sites. Nearly half a million private homes and 2,656 government buildings were destroyed and 256,697 private houses and 3,622 government buildings were damaged, leading to an estimated loss of as much as USD 7 billion. The response to the earthquakes was immediate and Nepal saw various rescue, relief and other humanitarian support provided to the affected people and communities by innumerable state and non-state actors as well as individuals both from Nepal and elsewhere. At the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction hosted on 25 June 2015 by the Government of Nepal, international partners pledged USD 4.4 billion in grants and loans for recovery and reconstruction. This resource guide is an attempt to bring together the vast literature that the earthquake and the recovery and reconstruction phases have spawned. It includes journal articles, research papers and reports, books, government acts, rules, policies and guidelines, decisions of the NRA, interviews with NRA officials and political leaders and useful links related to 2015 Earthquake and its aftermath. It, however, does not deal with media reports given the sheer impossibility of even attempting to put together everything that has been written on the subject since that fateful day in April 2015

Sharad Wagle

Foresnsic Disaster Analysis Report

Johannes Anhorn , Trevor Girard , Susan Brink , Bhubaneswari Parajuli

The 25 April 7.8 magnitude Gorkha earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, including the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Dolakha, has caused devastation in Nepal on a scale not seen since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar Earthquake. According to the Government of Nepal, the Gorkha earthquake and aftershocks have severely damaged or destroyed nearly 900,000 buildings and approximately 2.3 million people continue to be displaced. The Gorkha earthquake created an unprecedented need for emergency shelter as well as temporary and transitional housing. A CEDIM-led research team conducted 284 household surveys in 177 locations spanning 27 Municipalities/VDCs and 7 districts. Types of shelter sites varied to include officially provided and spontaneous sites, located in urban and rural areas, and ranging from emergency shelter to temporary and transitional housing. The purpose of the study is to better understand the factors that increase vulnerability to being displaced. This report reviews the emergent issues with respect to decision processes of displaced households seeking shelter and temporary housing. We found that many displaced residents sought refuge close to their homes in open spaces, with housing damage, and the threat of landslides and aftershocks being the main drivers to seeking shelter. After the earthquake most households continued to visit their homes even if severely damaged or destroyed. Within the shelter sites, sanitation, water and food were the main issues. A majority of households also admitted to suffering from emotional difficulties, Nepal Earthquake 2015, and more than half confirmed that women in their households experienced additional problems. In regards to communicating their issues, we found that households speak to government office officials over other agencies. Furthermore, they communicate in person, with cellphones, internet and social media barely contributing in this regard. We also found locations where camp management committees were created to represent the shelter sites when speaking to officials and other agencies. These committees became a source of information as well as a conduit to have household needs heard and potentially resolved. Households understood that landslides were currently a major risk in many areas. Some suggested they will be less concerned once the monsoon is over, while others appeared to view the risk as a long term issue. Regardless, many stated they need to know more information about landslide risk, and some demanded that experts assess their area to confirm it is safe to live. We also found that many households want further information about how to build back better, in order to withstand future earthquakes, and many had their own ideas for doing so. Regarding future plans, many households were planning on staying in their current shelter during the monsoon with the majority of these being households from rural areas. And almost one third of households stated they would not be able to return to permanent housing within the next 10 years without financial assistance. The current situation is that many households have little money to rebuild or recover, as a large majority of households had experienced a severe impact on their ability to generate income. Many also have nowhere to go as homes were destroyed, and for some, their land has been wiped out by landslides. While the extent to which each household has been impacted by the earthquake varies, all are at a critical moment in planning for their future and re-establishing their home plays a major role. The aim of this report is to analyze the current shelter response situation with a view on emerging factors critical to forming an appropriate shelter policy which will account for the vulnerability of displaced populations in Kathmandu and affected areas across Nepal.

Dr Vinay K U M A R Pandey , ajai mishra

Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society (SEAGS)

An earthquake is a natural disaster that comes in different parts of the earth every year. Most of them are very weak and unnoticeable. But some of them are too severe to cause a great loss of lives and destruction of properties. A major earthquake happened in Nepal on 25 th April 2015. More than 8,000 people died and more than 19,000 people got wounded in this earthquake. People of Nepal had anticipated but never experienced such a devastating earthquake. This paper deals with the Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, its causes and characteristics, previous earthquake history of Nepal, consequences etc.

RUPSON RUPSON

Kenneth MacClune , Rachel Norton

Social capital has been central to Nepal's resilience to shocks and stresses since pre-history. Recent economic change and the end of the civil conflict have prompted a social transformation that has begun to weakened traditional social ties. An intervention in Nepal's Sindhupalchok District using an advanced form of Integrated Land Use Planning seeks to be a transformative process by promoting enhanced social ties as a means to improve livelihoods.

Social Science Baha

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024