Impacts of earthquakes
Primary Impacts (immediate
effect of the ground shaking)
Buildings and bridges collapse
Injury and deaths
Roads, railways, airports & ports
damaged
Electricity cut off
Gas pipes break – leaks, cut off,
Telephone poles & cable
destroyed – break down in
communications
Underground water & sewage
pipes broken – leaks, cut off
Secondary impacts
CAN trigger landslides & tsunamis =more damage, injuries & deaths
Leaking gas = fires
People homeless
Psychological problems
Shortage of clean water, sanitation– disease spreads
Roads blocked/destroyed – aid andemergency vehicles can’t getthrough
Businesses damaged/destroyed =unemployment
Impacts of earthquakes more severein LEDCs
More poor quality housing – less stable
so falls down
Infrastructure is poorer – poor quality
roads harder for emergency services
to get to injured people = more deaths
No money for protection – can’t
earthquake proof buildings (rubber
shock absorbers)
Not enough money or resources – food,
water, emergency services – to react
immediately so more affected by
secondary impacts
Healthcare often worse. Hospitals not
enough supplies so more die from
treatable injuries
People keep living inearthquake areas – why?
Always lived there – don’twant to leave family/friends
Employed there
Confident of support fromgovernment if needed (rebuildhomes)
Think it won’t happen
Too poor to have any choice
Reducing the impacts of earthquakes
Prediction – impossible to predict! But there are clues – lots of small tremors,
cracks, strange animal behaviour. CAN predict where they MIGHT happen –
data, mapping = preparation for impacts
Building techniques – buildings can be designed to withstand quakes –
reinforced concrete, special foundations = reduced number of collapsed
buildings = less injuries, deaths, homeless, unemployed
Planning – avoid building in earthquake areas = reduced number buildings
destroyed. Firebreaks reduce spread of fire. Train and prepare emergency
services by practising rescues/stockpiling medicines – reduces deaths.
Governments plan evacuation routes – get people out safely & quickly – reduces
death and injuries
Education – governments/organisations educate people about what to do (stand
in doorway, go under tables) how to evacuate = less deaths. Teach how to make
survival kit – food, water, torch, radio, batteries etc. = reduction in deaths
Aid – LEDCs receive aid from governments/organisations – food, water, money,
survival kits, people. Aid reduces impacts – find people, rebuild homes –
reduces homelessness
Reducing the impacts of earthquakes – somestrategies are more sustainable than others
Sustainable strategies meet the needs of people today without stopping
people in the future meeting their needs.
Not sustainable if:- it isn’t effective (doesn’t work), expensive, harms theenvironment
1.Predicting is not effective = NOT SUSTAINABLE
2.Building techniques, planning, education & aid are effective,environmentally friendly – SUSTAINABLE
The more cost-effective a strategy is the more sustainable it is.
Good planning usually more effective than aid and it is cheaper.
Some strategies are expensive (earthquake buildings) but they can be more
sustainable as in the long-term less money and resources are used in
rebuilding
Impacts of volcanoes
Primary impacts (immediate)
•Buildings and roadsdestroyed by lava flows andpyroclastic flows.
•People and animals killed.
•Crops damaged and watersupplies contaminated byfalling ash.
•People, animals and plantssuffocated by carbondioxide.
Secondary impacts (later on)
•Mudflows
•Fires started by lava flows.
•Psychological problems
•People left homeless
•Shortage of food.
•Shortage of safe water.
•Roads blocked or destroyedso....
•Businesses destroyed.
•Sulphur dioxide released intothe atmosphere causes acidrain.
Reducing the impacts of volcanoes
Prediction –possible to roughly predict when an eruption will happen. Scientists monitor
the signs – tiny earthquakes, escaping gas, changes in the shape of the volcano (bulges
where magma has built up. Gives people time to evacuate – reduces injuries and deaths.
Building techniques –buildings CAN’T be build to withsatand lava or pyroclastic flows, they
can be strengthened so less likely to collapse under the weight of ash. Sometimes lava
can be diverted away from buildings using barriers. This reduces the number of buildings
destroyed, reduces injuries, deaths, homelessness & unemployment.
Planning – avoid building in high risk areas= reduced number buildings
destroyed. Firebreaks reduce spread of fire. Train and prepare emergency
services by practising setting up emergency camps for homeless people
Governments plan evacuation routes – get people out safely & quickly – reduces
death and injuries from pyroclastic flows and mudflows
Education – governments/organisations educate people about how to evacuate – gets
people out of danger quickly and reduces deaths. Teach how to make survival kit – food,
water, torch, radio, batteries, dustmask etc. = reduction in deaths
Aid – LEDCs receive aid from governments/organisations – food, water, money,
survival kits, people. Aid reduces impacts – rebuild homes –
reduces homelessness
Reducing the impacts of earthquakes – somestrategies are more sustainable than others
Sustainable strategies meet the needs of people today without stopping
people in the future meeting their needs.
Not sustainable if:- it isn’t effective (doesn’t work), expensive, harms the
environment
1.All of the strategies are sustainable – effective and environmentallyfriendly
2.Predicting eruptions needs special equipment and trained scientistswhich makes it expensive but if it is accurate it saves a lot of lives
3.Building techniques can be very expensive but can save money if theystop building destruction
The more cost-effective a strategy is the more sustainable it is.
Good planning usually more effective than aid and it is cheaper.
Some strategies are expensive (building techniques) but they can be more
sustainable as in the long-term less money and resources are used in
rebuilding