Kathmandu Earthquake Research Paper

Intro

On Saturday the 25th of April 2015, a major earthquake struck Kathmandu in Nepal. The quake, with a massive magnitude of 7.8, occurred because of converging tectonic plates. It was the worst earthquake recorded in the area for more than 80 years and was classified on the Mercalli Scale as VIII - very destructive. It lasted for more than 50 seconds, killing more than 9,000 citizens and injuring over 22,000 people.

Scientific background

Nepal sits on top of a volatile zone. Fifty million years ago the Indian and Eurasian Tectonic Plates collided and the Indian plate was forced under the Eurasian plate. This caused the Eurasian plate to thrust upwards, creating the Himalaya mountain range. This plate formation is called convergent or deconstructive

After the earthquake devastated Nepal, both countries were among the first to respond and send help. This gesture created a new opportunity of international partnerships for Nepal.

After the earthquake, many citizens around the world and their governments donated funds to assist Nepal to rebuild. A total of $1.5 billion was donated. India was the largest donor and gave approximately $1 billion. Australians were also very generous and donated $16 million.

Cultural Losses

Nepal has many important cultural sites, some of which are UNESCO world heritage listed. Kathmandu Valley is an ancient area which holds many of Nepal’s cultural treasures. There are also several Buddha and Hindu pilgrimage sites in Nepal. When the earthquakes struck, four of the nine world heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley were badly damaged and 45 monuments that had been preserved for centuries collapsed. This quickly decreased Nepal’s tourism

Cultural Gains

Months after the April earthquake, UNESCO and Nepal’s government worked as a team to restore the artefacts in many of the impacted sites. Many museums reopened including the National museum in Chhauni.

Precautions have been taken in case of earthquakes in the future. Safe- storage places for museum collections and relics have been created. Although the main focus for repair is still on farms and houses, Nepal has not given up hope that their damaged heritage sites can be fixed.

Conclusion

The 2015 Nepal earthquake was a tragic disaster caused by the tension of two converging tectonic plates. This earthquake devastated Nepal economically and culturally. It was particularly bad because Nepal is a very poor country and it could not afford all of the repair costs. The economy after the quake decreased rapidly and Nepalese people suffered. Many homes and buildings were destroyed, even century old world heritage sites. Buddhists and Hindus were deeply effected as their cultural sites were damaged or destroyed.

If an earthquake hits the area again, hopefully Nepal will be better