Natural Hazards (Case Study) Kashmir, North Pakistan Flashcards
What caused the earthquake?
The region sits on a destructive plate margin where the Indian plate is being forced under the Eurasian plate.
What was the magnitude of the earthquake?
Measured 7.6 on the MMS scale and occurred on the 8th October 2005
How much damage did the earthquake cause?
Damaged an area of 30,000 km^2 with nearly 1000 aftershocks over the next few weeks.
What were the social impacts of the earthquake?
80,000 people died and hundreds of thousands were injured
3 million people were made homeless
What were the economic impacts of the earthquake?
The earthquake cost around US $5 billion in total
The total cost of rebuilding whole villages and thousands of buildings has estimated to be US $3.5 billion
What were the environmental impacts of the earthquake?
A landslide in Jhelum Valley was over 1 km wide and 2 km long. The debris created a dam at the bottom of the valley that blocked two rivers where they joined.
Why was the response delayed?
Poor roads meant that help didn’t reach many areas for days or weeks. People had to be rescued without any equipment or help from emergency services.
How did the Pakistani government help with the response?
Set up the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) and the Federal Relief Commission (FRC) to coordinate activities with other international agencies and non-governmental organisations.
How were people protected?
Around 40,000 people were relocated to a new town, from the destroyed town of Balakot.
How much aid was dedicated to the area?
About US $5.8 billion of foreign aid was provided by the international community in response to the disaster. Some of this was for long-term development.
