Disery Dave Deguinon : NEPAL’S EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS PLAN

Nepal is a highly disaster-prone country. The country has a fault line at the lower part of Nepal between Indo-Australian plate and Eurasian Plate. The fault is a more likely part of the Alpine- Himalayan Belt because of the place being near the Himalayans and Mt. Everest. Nepal is also known as “the ceiling of the world” because it has 8 out of 10 of the world’s highest mountains. The first in the list is Mount Everest. It is the collision of these plates that has produced the Himalaya Mountains, and with them, there are earthquakes. The epicenter was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mt. Everest.

For the structure if their buildings, they’re mostly from the Buddha’s period which could be thousands of years ago. The traditional resources were adobe constructions, wooden-framed houses, and rubble stone masonry were the most popular in villages while urban and suburbs were stone or brick masonry which is 20% of reinforced concrete. So that means that 80% of Nepal’s buildings were non-engineered. April 25 earthquake measured 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale, the largest since the 1934 Bihar quake, which measured 8.2 and killed around 10,000 people. Another quake in Kashmir in 2005, measuring 7.6, killed around 80,000 people.

After the earthquake event, ninety-four percent of people have realized the risk of earthquake disaster while more than eighty percent have seriously discussed the potential effect within family and community and identified the need for preparedness at the household and community level

Before and After the Bihar Earthquake

Building structures from Nepal

The reaction-based from the information gathered, we are clearly disturbed because Nepal isn’t ready enough in case there are earthquakes or disasters. Since Nepal is also considered as one of the world’s natural disaster “hotspots” Even the structures of the buildings and houses are made out of adobe construction, wooden framed houses and rubble stone masonry. Nepal is one of the most destructive and life taking scenarios if any quake might happen. Their facilities and structures are not compatible for any trembling that may occur. Nepal has a convergent boundary or also known as a destructive boundary in which it can be so dangerous for the people living. If they won’t strengthen and enhance their facilities, structures, and preparedness, many would suffer their lives, so with that, they should be warned.

Between the two countries of Nepal and the Philippines, both of them are in poverty but Nepal has lack of facilities for them to improve the structures of their buildings. Nepal was placed literally on top of Alpine-Himalayan Belt while the Philippines is placed around 5 different faults namely The Eastern Philippine Fault, The South of Mindanao Fault, Central Philippine Fault, and the Markina/ Valley Fault System. So, therefore, Nepal gets more intense earthquakes than the Philippines. Nepal also gets least volunteers than the Philippines, their preparedness plan is different from the Philippines. According to our research, five percent of the locals in Nepal only participated in discussions events and think that these types of programs are neither sufficient nor effective. Eighty-five percent of the people have learned about earthquake risk from these media sources. In Nepal they don’t perform or execute in having seminars or discussions, they only tell the civilians what will happen before, during, and after the earthquake. While in the Philippines the NDRRMC hold seminars that discuss and make the civilians perform for them to get to know what will happen before, during and after. They inform what should they prepare if any calamities might happen. The buildings of Nepal are mostly made of stone brick masonry and only 40% of total buildings are made of reinforced concrete, which can withstand an earthquake with better survivability while in the Philippines total percentage of reinforced concrete buildings is considerably higher.

Earthquakes are unpredictable, we individuals wouldn’t even know whether when will that thing happen nor would that be vulnerable one or not. As what individuals would always say, “Best the thing to do is just to be prepared physically and mentally”

We should be prepared anytime because we cannot predict our future. That’s why preparedness should be practiced and must matter to everyone the most so that not only you can save yourself, but if you see someone who needs help, you can lend your hands to grab them. Be alert every time and join any seminars that involve first aid and preparedness so that if there are calamities, you always know what to do and what you shouldn’t do.

Before, Nepal’s earthquake plan regarding on preparedness is not so powerful enough to lessen the casualties since Nepal is also known as one of the poorest country, and they couldn’t afford to make the structures of the buildings strong enough to withstand the tragedy. But now, a new government task force was created to help deal with future earthquakes. The people are now educated across Nepal to perform earthquake drills.

It’s also good since they are planning for the structures of the building that it shouldn’t be the same as before where it can be easily crushed into pieces due to the trembling and movement of the ground that can’t withstand the subduction of the two plates which are the Indo- Australian Plate and Eurasian Plate.

Reference

The Nepal Earthquake of 25^th April 2015

http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/A-level/AQA/Year%2013/Plate%20Tectonics/Extra_case_studies/Nepal_Earthquake_2015.htm

Nepal Earthquake 2015 – Impact – Immediate response – Long Term Response

\https://www.internetgeography.net/topics/nepal-earthquake-2015/