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The Edexcel B specification requires you to study contrasting earthquake case studies from locations at different levels of development. This lesson compares the 2015 Nepal earthquake (an LIC) with the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake in Italy (an HIC). The contrast demonstrates a fundamental principle of hazard geography: the level of development is often more important than the magnitude of the earthquake in determining the scale of death and destruction.
Nepal is a low-income country (LIC) in South Asia, located in the Himalayan mountain range. The country sits directly on the collision boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, making it one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. Nepal had experienced devastating earthquakes before, including a magnitude 8.0 event in 1934 that killed over 10,000 people.
| Key Facts About Nepal (2015) | |
|---|---|
| Population | ~28 million |
| GDP per capita | ~$730 (low-income country) |
| Terrain | Mountainous; 75% of the country is covered by mountains |
| Capital | Kathmandu (population ~1 million, metro area ~2.5 million) |
| Building stock | Predominantly unreinforced masonry and rubble-stone construction in rural areas; some reinforced concrete in Kathmandu |
| Infrastructure | Limited road network; many remote villages accessible only on foot; limited healthcare facilities |
| Characteristic | Data |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | Mw 7.8 |
| Focus depth | 15 km (shallow) |
| Epicentre | Barpak village, Gorkha District, ~80 km NW of Kathmandu |
| Plate boundary | Collision — Indo-Australian Plate being forced beneath Eurasian Plate |
| Aftershocks | Over 300 aftershocks >Mw 4.0, including a Mw 7.3 aftershock on 12 May 2015 |
| Duration of shaking | Approximately 50 seconds |
| Effect | Details |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 8,800+ people killed (some estimates exceed 9,000) |
| Injuries | Over 22,000 people injured |
| Building destruction | 604,930 buildings destroyed; 288,856 damaged. Entire villages in Gorkha and Sindhupalchok districts were flattened |
| Kathmandu damage | Historic temples and palaces in Kathmandu's Durbar Square (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) collapsed. The iconic Dharahara tower (built in 1832) was completely destroyed, killing 180 people inside |
| Infrastructure | Roads blocked by landslides; bridges collapsed; telecommunications disrupted; Kathmandu airport temporarily closed |
| Effect | Details |
|---|---|
| Landslides | The earthquake triggered thousands of landslides across Nepal's steep mountain terrain, burying villages, blocking roads and damming rivers |
| Avalanches | An enormous avalanche on Mount Everest killed 22 climbers at Base Camp — the deadliest single disaster in Everest's history |
| Displacement | Over 3.5 million people left homeless; many slept outdoors in the open for weeks due to fear of aftershocks and collapsed buildings |
| Economic cost | Estimated at $10 billion (approximately half of Nepal's GDP) |
| Water contamination | Damaged pipes and wells contaminated water supplies; increased risk of cholera and dysentery |
| Food insecurity | Crops destroyed; food stores buried; disrupted supply routes to remote areas |
| Cultural heritage | Irreplaceable historic monuments, temples and palaces destroyed or severely damaged |
| Education | Over 7,000 schools destroyed or damaged; 1 million children affected |
| Response Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Immediate domestic | Nepal's army and police conducted search and rescue; government established emergency shelters; declared a state of emergency |
| International aid | Pledges of over $4.4 billion from international donors. India, China, the UK, USA, and Japan were among the first to respond. The UK's DFID provided £73 million |
| Challenges | Nepal's remote, mountainous terrain made access extremely difficult. Only one international airport (Kathmandu) served as the main entry point for aid. Narrow mountain roads were blocked by landslides. Political instability and bureaucratic delays slowed recovery |
| Long-term recovery | A National Reconstruction Authority was established in December 2015 (7 months after the earthquake). Reconstruction was slow — by 2019, only about 60% of destroyed homes had been rebuilt. Many families spent 4+ years in temporary shelters |
L'Aquila is a historic city in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, situated in the Apennine Mountains. Italy is a high-income country (HIC) and a member of the G7. The Apennine Mountains lie along the boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate, which is being subducted beneath Italy, making the region seismically active.
| Key Facts About L'Aquila/Italy (2009) | |
|---|---|
| Population of L'Aquila | ~73,000 (city); ~300,000 (province) |
| GDP per capita (Italy) | ~$38,000 (high-income country) |
| Building stock | Mix of historic stone buildings (some centuries old) and modern reinforced concrete structures |
| Infrastructure | Well-developed road, rail and hospital networks |
| Emergency services | Professional fire service, police, ambulance and civil protection agency (Protezione Civile) |
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