Impacts of Seismic Hazards (AQA A Level Geography)

Primary impacts

Secondary impacts

Social

Deaths and injuries

Displacement of people

Damage to properties and infrastructure causing disruption to people’s lives

Mental health issues e.g. stress, anxiety, depression

Homelessness

Disruption to services such as healthcare and education

Loss of cultural heritage sites

Economic

Destruction of property and infrastructure leading to significant costs for repair and reconstruction

Disruption of trade and economic activity

Loss of income and employment

Costs of immediate responses e.g. food aid, temporary shelter, medical treatment

Slower economic growth and development

Increased economic inequality as impacts are more severe for most vulnerable people

Increased costs of insurance and hazard management strategies

Environmental

Loss of vegetation and damage to natural environment through landslides and liquefaction

Contamination of water supplies

Tsunamis can cause flooding, erosion and damage to coastal ecosytems

Pollution as a result of the release of hazardous materials e.g. 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused the release of radioactive material from the Fukushima nuclear power plant

Political

Pressure on governments to co-ordinate emergency response

Social unrest and political instability

Conflicts over government response and food shortage

Changes in government policy and regulations to reduce future risk

Primary impacts

Secondary impacts

Social

Approximately 9000 deaths and 20,000 injuries

Over 600,000 houses destroyed and leaving approximately 3.5 million people homeless

7000 schools and 1000 health centres damaged or destroyed

Electricity and water supplies cut

Mental health issues e.g. around a third of survivors experienced symptoms of PTSD six months after the disaster

More than 1 million children were unable to attend school, affecting future social and economic development

Cultural buildings were damaged or destroyed interfering with cultural practices e.g. Changu Narayan Temple and Dharahara Tower 

Two years later 70% of displaced people still in temporary shelters

Economic

Agriculture, which employs over 75% of Nepalese population was badly affected with almost a third of crops destroyed

Loss of tourism which accounts for 8% of Nepal’s GDP due to damage to popular tourist sites like the Everest Base Camp trek

Damage estimated between $7-10 billion, about 35% of GDP

Offices, shops and factories were destroyed meaning over 1 million people were unemployed and unable to make a living

Destruction of roads and bridges impacted trade and economic activity

Number of tourists visiting Nepal dropped by a third in 2016

Environmental

The earthquake triggered more than 3000 avalanches and landslides causing damage to the fragile environment

Large areas (12,000 hectares) of forest and vegetation were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake

Rivers and water sources were contaminated

Landslides blocked rivers causing flooding and increased risk of soil erosion and loss of fertile land

10 million people were affected by reduced access to clean water causing water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid

Political

The government struggled to co-ordinate the relief effort and distribute adequate aid in a timely fashion

The government deployed security forces to maintain order and prevent looting and violence

In the weeks following the earthquake, there were protests by people who were unhappy with the government’s response

The Nepalese government was criticised for its handling of the relief effort due to inadequate supplies and slow response times

Longstanding political were exacerbated leading to political instability and the resignation of the Prime Minister

Pressure on the government to address issues relating to corruption and governance