Critical Analysis of the Nepal 2015 Earthquake - Case Study Example

Running Head: Critical Analysis of the Nepal 2015 Earthquake Critical Analysis of the Nepal 2015 Earthquake Name: Name of the university: Course: Lecturer: Date: Description of the Nepal earthquake in 2015 and its management Nepal is located at the centre of the Himalayan concave chain and is nearly rectangular shaped. Nepal has experienced earthquake shocks in the previous years, for instance; in 1934. Nepal was hit by the worst earthquake that left thousands of people dead and others displaced. Nepal earthquake of 2015 was a major tremor that occurred on two phases and left thousands of people dead and thousands homeless. The first phase happened on 25th April 2015, whereas, the second phase happened on 12th may 2015.The first phase of April 2015 Nepal earthquake happened at around 11:56 am News Straits Time (NST) and struck the area between Kathmandu and Pokhara (Mitra et al, 2015). According to the United State Geological Survey, the earthquake originally had a7.5 moment magnitude Scale (MMS)which later upgraded to 7.8 (Gov.UK, 2015). The earthquake epicentre was 77km north-west of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. This was the most powerful natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake. The Nepal-Bihar earthquake had an 8.1MMS. The United State Geological Survey asserts that tremor was caused by sudden thrust along the major fault line of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The intensity in Kathmandu was IX, which was violent in nature (Aydan&Ulusay, 2015). The April 25thNepal earthquake triggered a major avalanche on the slope of Mount Everest killing some people and left others injured. The earthquake also triggered an enormous avalanche in the Langtang valley, where nearly 250 people went missing. In addition, the old buildings and monument at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley were also brought down by the strong earthquake shocks that struck Nepal in 2015. The April Nepal earthquake experienced aftershock of a magnitude of 6.7 on 26thApril 2015. It had an epicentre situated 17 km south of Kodari, Nepal. The death toll rose to approximately eight thousand people and left thousands homeless (Gov.UK, 2015) The second phase of Nepal 2015 earthquake tremor took place on 12th May 2015. The earthquake occurred weeks later after phase one had taken place. The earthquake destroyed the buildings and other monument that had survived the previous earthquake. It happened at 12:50 pm local time with a moment a 7.3MMS, it took place18 kilometres south-east of Kodari. The earthquake befell on the same fault line far east than the initial tremor in April. The Nepal Army together with Indian Army continued its Operation SankatMochan to aid relief and rescue mission to the stranded population (Mitra et al, 2015). In totality, the earthquake shocks killed approximately more than eight thousand people and destroyed half a million homes nationwide. In the management of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, Nepalese Army was sent in the areas that had been struck by the earthquake together with the volunteers from other parts of the country, under Operation SankatMochan. India being Nepal's immediate neighbour was the first to respond to the earthquake that struck Nepal, with Operation Maitri by the armed forces which offered rescue and relief to its own citizens and other nationals who were stranded. The United Kingdom was also charitable in helping Nepal following the 2015 earthquake by contributingthe largest aid to support the country and the affected communities at large. The UK government increased its support by offering shelter, food and water to the victims of the 2015 Nepal earthquake (Gov.UK, 2015). The United States, China and other nations took part in providing helicopters for the rescue mission. The Nepalese government had requested for helicopters assistance from other nations for the evacuation process. On 1st May, evacuation of the critically injured persons was started by international aid agencies such as Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without borders) and the Red Cross. The international aid agencies made mobile camps where they offered medication to individuals who had minor injuries. Emergency workers were also able to identify and rescue the people who were trapped in the rubbles. The emergency workers played an essential role in the 2015 Nepal Earthquake and they were fully committed to the evacuation mission (Emergency Management Australia, 2003). The emergency workers used heartbeat detection to identify the trapped persons. World Health Organisation (WHO) and health partners also took part in the management of the catastrophic event of 2015 Nepal earthquake by helping the government to resume its services in rebuilding the damaged and destroyed health facilities. Furthermore, they started rehabilitation centres for spinal and orthopaedic injuries (World Health Organisation, 2015). British aid also provided vital shelter kits that assisted thousands of families and communities that were left homeless following the 2015 Nepal earthquake.The community also had a role in disaster management by being ethical during and after the disaster. Communities depict ethics during the recovery period through positive conducts and the moral judgement that helps restore the mind of the people who were affected in the catastrophic events (Lateef, 2011). After the aftermath of the earthquake, the government set long-term policy and strategies on disaster management. For instance, Nepal Earthquake Recovery Appeal (NERA) 2015 that directs donations on small non-governmental organisations and the upcoming organisations that help create a network on the relief effort (Marston, 2015). Generally, small grassroots organisations offered support in rebuilding the communities that had been hit by the 2015 Nepal earthquake by providing food, healthcare, sanitation and shelter. Critical analysis of the management of 2015 Nepal Earthquake with best practice principles Disaster management should include administrative decisions and operational international risk management standards which provide a set of principles, frameworks and processes to enhance ways through which individuals and organisations manage risk. It requires an individual or an organisation to work smarter in dealing with disasters which pose a lot of challenges when they occur. In Nepal, the principles of disaster management were not exempted from been used. They were applied during and after the earthquake occurred. A disaster can be prepared for, before it happens. According to(Lateef, 2011), preventive ethics, for instance, preparedness is a basic tool to manage a situation.The readiness can be achieved from different angles. First perspective is through offering educational training (Lateef, 2011). This training is commonly adequate if realistic scenarios are encouraged. The 2015 Nepal earthquake was not the first one to happen in the country. There were other scenarios the Nepalese government would have learnt from. Gibson & Tarrant 2010, added by saying that, being prepared will give an individual the ability to identify precedence what is happening and foresight what could probably occur. A person who is prepared can manage to identify early warning indicators and analyse possible options to deal with it. Secondly, the occurrence of an earthquake does not happen overnight. There are signs that are evident or which can be seen and these make pre-predictionspossible. Meteorologists do help in preparedness by studying the weather. Through their studying process, they are able to predict the future outcomes thus posting early warnings. According to Bradtet al., (2009), disaster warnings should be communicated clearly through normal communication channels and in a suitable manner to enhance understanding. In Nepal, seismic geologists had warned on the oncoming earthquake. They had even pinpointed the exact zones where it would take place(Petroff& Rooney, 2015). Nepal Government had put measures on preparedness though they were not fully effective. Through preparedness, effective decisions are made thus minimising the mortality rate and maximising the available resources in managing disasters. According to Emergency Management Australia (2003), coordination is necessary for managing a disaster.This brings in working harmony under one command to achieve one goal of controlling the situation. Goyet (2000) suggested that, affected regions appreciate the external assistance which does a lot of good to them. This is clearly seen in Nepal where many government agencies, companies and non-profit organisations sent their assistance. According to Petroff&Rooney (2015), Facebook came up with Safety Check tools urging Nepal residents to click in letting their friends know they were okay. Google revived the person finder tools which would enable people to post missing persons from Nepal. Microsoft also participated by offering free Skype calls in and out of Nepal. Nepalese Army was sent in the area together with Humanitarians from all over the world, under Operation SankatMochan. Operation Maitri from India offered rescue and relief not only to its citizens but also to other citizens from other countries.Rescue mission helicopters came from the United States and China as per the request of the Nepal government. The Medical personnel’s did participate in the Nepal earthquake management. Qualified and experienced medical personnel’s were sent to the affected zones of Nepal to provide best medical services to those affected either directly or indirectly. One of the mainobjectives of medical personnel’s during disaster is to respond quickly when an emergencyoccurs. They attend to the victims and offer them quickmedical care that saves life (Gunn &Masellis, 1996). The personnel in Nepal operated under some principles and harmony. One of the principles is that of Mellissa &Gunn (1996) who assert that, clinical information systems are essential to understanding patient flow and to improving operational efficiency. Furthermore, these medical practitioners should be fair when attending to victims. They should also try as much as possible to avoid inflicting more injuries to the victims who are already in pain (Lateef, 2011). During a mass-casualty incident (MCI),like that of Nepal, the mass-casualty triage aimed at ensuring the available medical resources are directed at achieving the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Jenkins, Sauer &Green,2008). In the Nepal earthquake disaster 2015, evacuation of the critically injured persons was started by the international aid agencies such as Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without borders) and the Red Cross. MSF’s 20-bed inflatable hospital had been operating throughout the management period. It had mental health services and psychological programmes which would help the victims to recover from the trauma. This psychological support to the victims is important during the post-emergency phase after the crisis (Emergency psychology of Australia, 2009).World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) outlines the key objectives of medical response to being; mitigate morality, reinstate the health status and recovery process. After the aftermath of any disaster, rehabilitation needs to be done. Qualified architects, engineers and masons should be deployed in ensuring all building codes are met. Besides, a point should be taken to ensure these buildings are earthquake resistance (Tarrant, 2010).After the Nepal earthquake, a change was needed. Reconstruction of the damaged buildings and roads started immediately using the capital donations offered to them. Nepal Engineers Association comprising of qualified engineers and masons was revived. Also, a relief network, Nepal Earthquake Appeal (NERA, 2015) was created by the government. It was used to direct donations on small non-governmental organisations and upcoming organisations. It was a good channel of funds and effective communication. The world Health Organisation also showed best practice on the response of Nepal 2015 earthquake. The WHO together with other health partners rebuilt health facilities damaged by the quake. In addition, it also rehabilitated the victims of The 2015 Nepal earthquake by providing medication to the patient who had spinal and orthopaedic injuries(Salvador & Salvador, 2003). The World Health Organisation had an intense commitment to offering assistance to the Nepalese government after the occurrence of the catastrophic event that hit Nepal and left thousands of people dead and others homeless. Those affected directly or indirectly by the disaster, needed much assistance in terms of providing shelter, food, and clean water (Geldin et. al., 2014). In Nepal, the government relocated victims ofthe tragic event to safer places.The community also offered assistance to these unfortunate victims of the tragic event byproviding them with basic needs like food, clothes and shelter. These made the victims feel supported and in restoring their normal activities. Disasters and crisis are very challenging as well as complex to both the nation and the society. The release of the risk management ISO is an opportunity to rethink on how the organisations can more effectively develop capability in the risk management field (Tarrant 2010). Resilience approach in disaster management is stimulated by development of effective leadership, management and governance. This entails the themes and the concepts which underpins or run through the relevant discipline that might help the country to cope and adapt to shocks. This themes and concepts are the best practices in coping and adapting to shocks that may arise due to catastrophic events. This is also evident in 2015 Nepal earthquake through the evacuation process where teams from different countries came together and offered assistant to the Nepalese government. The medical team too was not left behind in offering medication to the victims of 2015 Nepal earthquake. The teams had themes and concepts that drove them in the management of Nepal 2015 earthquake in the evacuation process of the stranded victims. After an earthquake, risk of diseases outbreak is very high (Gunn &Masellis, 1996). People congest at one point thus increasing the risks of disease spreading at the same time increasing the speed at which they spread. The higher the speed of disease spread, the higher the probability of having a higher mortality rate. According Goyet (2000), this was the case after the Nepal earthquake in 2015. Diarrheal, respiratory diseases and measures posted a main concern. UNICEF assisted in paying for water tanks in areas where the earthquake victims had congregated. UNICEF also provided the victims with oral rehydration salts and zinc supplement to help prevent diarrheal diseases. According to WHO (2015), the zinc supplement helped with immune function. Vaccinations measures were also provided to the children. New mothers were also taken care of by being provided with special tents where they would breastfeed their babies freely. Lesson learnt from Nepal 2015 earthquake and how it may be applied in future The 2015 Nepal 2 earthquake caused the destruction of property and people's life. It left out many questions unanswered on how the disaster could have been best managed and prevented from causing much harm. Despite this, there are lessons that are learnt from the tragic event. First, disaster preparedness is the key tool that governs the personality of a person on how to respond to any tragic or emergency event. Disaster preparedness depicts how fast and ready a person is when faced with a natural catastrophic event or emergency. The entire emergency department at the community level and at the national level should focus on improving ability as a nation by providing resources that aid in the rescue mission if any tragic event occurs. The community should also equip themselves with the knowledge of disaster preparedness both at present and in future. The community too should understand that, personal response can change the nature of the tragedy by either minimising the number of victims who suffer on the tragedy or prevent it by taking precautions.The community have acknowledged that they have a central role in disaster risk management, as they are the first respondents before the humanitarian agencies arrive in any catastrophic event or disaster. These lessons should serve as a wake-up call for every person in a country or a community to prepare for disaster as it is the core principle before any disaster strikes (Jones, 2005). Secondly, planning is another main lesson that is learnt from Nepal 2015 earthquake both to the community and the natation at large. The planning comprises of launching Disaster management, constructing of seismicity-resistant buildings and information and public education programmes. Seismicity buildings are achieved by deploying qualified architects, engineers and masons and by respecting the building codes. Essential public buildings like schools and hospitals should adhere to higher safety standards. After the Nepal earthquake, many countries learned the need to protect their environment from adverse effects of weather which usually affects the topography of the land which makes the land more prone to floods, earthquakes and landslides. Another major lesson is that, there is need to involve the local community in response to calamities and establishing the best channels and methods to handle emergencies. The local communities should be taught the methods of conserving the environment so as to prevent the occurrence of calamities associated with destruction of the environment. Earthquakes usually cause a large amount of wreckage to buildings which means that, people should be relocated to other places. This means that, the government and the local authority should have some land where it can relocate its citizen in cases of such disasters as the 2015 Nepal earthquake (UNEP/OCHA02/2006). The community should also learn to be principled when it comes to helping a person in need. This is portrayed by the correct morals of the community by being fair and just. This was also seen in the case of the 2015 Nepal earthquake in that, people from different communities all over the world helped the victims of the disaster without discrimination of their country of origin. When such a disaster of that magnitude occurs, the community affected and also the government is not able to manage on its own and there is need of support of others (Cobley, 2011). A major lesson also learnt is that, when responding team comes to assist the affected people, they should consider other means they can use to access the already affected areas (The Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisation, 2015). This is because, catastrophic events in most cases cause massive destruction to structures like roads, and Airports which makes accessibility to the affected areas very difficult.The people of Nepal learnt the need to increase capacity of rescue and buy new and modern rescue facilities like fire engines as the ones they had were old and not operating. The entire valley of Kathmandu had only 12 fire engines that were not operating. 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