Comparison between Chile- Haiti Earthquakes - Research Paper Example

Comparison between Haiti and Chile earthquakes in Introduction An earthquake is a natural occurrence that takes place when an oceanic plate collides with the land plates thus causing an impulse. The resulting impulse between the two plates is always of a higher magnitude. It is this nature of earthquake’s higher magnitude that always causes the distractions of even stronger things including buildings, vehicles, heavy machinery among others. Earthquakes have mostly been experienced in most of Latin American countries compared to other continents. Some of these countries include Haiti and Chile. These two countries experienced what has been said to be two of the greatest earthquakes among other earthquakes in other countries. These earthquakes occurred respectively in these countries within a span of a year, causing death and destruction of properties which in turn resulted to affect the countries economically (Castanos, Heribita & Cinna 22). Even though the both earthquakes caused almost similar destruction, the weight of their impacts differed in the respective countries. Consequences of the earthquakes As it is expected that earthquakes causes a lot of destruction which in turn tends to cause negative impacts on the victims, so was the case in both Haiti and Chile as they never escaped to face its consequences. Most of the destruction and consequences experienced by both the countries were similar and the main. Even though most of the consequences and destruction experienced by these countries as a result of the earthquakes were similar, the magnitude of their effects of the government and the economy was slightly different. This difference came as e result of their economic stability. The earthquakes had a greater blow to the Haitians compared to the Chileans because Chile’s economy was better compared to Haiti, a country which is among the poorest in the world (Farmer & Joia 87). The 2010 Haiti earthquake caused a lot of destruction which subsequently affected its economy (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna p44). Some of these distractions were: demolition of buildings including presidential palace and The United Nation Peace keeps Mission. Demolition of buildings, led to one of the major consequences since it resulted in loss of homes. It is evident that close to 105,000 homes were destroyed. Destruction of homes could also mean that individuals whose homes were destroyed with them inside perished as a result. Secondly, demolition of buildings also implies that several industries were also destroyed it is believed that most of them collapsed as a result. This also implied that individuals who were employed in these companies were forced to lose their jobs. The increased number of joblessness and closure of companies eventually affected the economy since these individuals and companies were not able to pay the revenues (Farmer & Joia 87). Another department that was also affected by the earthquake is the transportation department. Transportation became a major problem causing a lot of things to stand still. The earthquake destroyed the cranes at the nearby ports hence making it difficult for the ports to operate. This was so due to the fact that the offloading of goods became a problem even to the ships that were transporting the aid. These ships were forced to inhibit temporarily (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna 52). These destructions at the port did not only affect the transportation of the aiding goods, they also interrupted the importation and exportation of goods in and out of the country thus affecting the economy. On the other hand, air transport was also not left behind in experiencing this problem. The air transport department especially the Airport International Toussaint L’Ouverture Airport. This airport was also damaged by the earthquake, thereby causing inconvenience since most of the planes were forced to use the nearby airport. The destruction of the airport also impacted the reduction of air travels which further thus reducing incomes and initiating loss of jobs to those who were working in them. Few roads that were left were full of damaged cars and were also cracked and flooded forcing congestion that made transport in and out of Haiti almost impossible. All the above destructions impacted a poor economy, loss of jobs, deaths among others in Haiti. Unlike the Haiti earthquake which caught the Haitians unaware, the Chile one was anticipated before it happened. This anticipation helped in triggering cautiousness among the Chileans. Chile had also used the experiences they gained from previous incidents of earthquakes in their countries before. It is these experiences that they had acquired before that led them to come up with some strategies on how to handle the resulting problems resulting from earthquakes. The people of Chile were then informed of the earthquake some few days before it took place (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna p44). This helped in reducing the number of lives that could be lost if the government had not taken the measures. It is understood that the place whereby the government had anticipated the earthquake to take place was known as Concepcion. Concepcion is the largest metropolitan area in Chile and could the measures haven't been taken, the occurrence of the earthquake could have caused a lot of lives more than it did. The other precaution that Chileans had taken was to come up with the proper building codes. The Chilean government had initiated the use of stronger building bricks that were able to endure forces of the earthquake to some extent. Chilean government was also stable enough compared to Haiti in handling the destructions caused by the earthquake. As much as this Chileans had taken a lot of measures to help with handling the effects of the earthquake, they still did face some loss. Some of these destructions include, Demolition of older buildings which did not adhere to the construction codes set. The other problems included the destruction of vehicles, flooding and deaths. Interestingly, the magnitude of the Chilean earthquake was slightly bigger than the one that occurred in Haiti yet Haiti suffered more than compared to Chile. Just like Haiti, the Chilean earthquake also resulted in death though of a smaller number compared Haiti. Chileans also experienced flooding as a result of the earthquake. There was also the issue of displacement among the citizens of Chile. The number of displaced people was approximately 1,500,000 which are slightly low compared to that of Haiti which was approximately 2,000,000 homes (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna 22). In Chile industries had also put in place measures on how to handle the effects of earthquake hence securing the jobs of their employers hence protecting the issue of joblessness. The earthquakes might have occurred in the same year, same continent yet as both countries experienced almost the same destruction yet they have faced contrasting consequences. This was because of the ways in which they prepared. Impacts of earthquakes to economy of Haiti and Chile The consequences that resulted from the earthquakes of Haiti and Chile exposed these respective countries to economic loss. These losses came about due to malfunctioning in some industries in these countries. Haiti, a country which was suffering with its economy and had just recorded a slight percentage increase in his economy between the year 2008 and 2009 suffered a big blow. Haiti was believed to have suffered a damage loss of about $7.8. Among the instances that led to these losses were, destruction of the port which the country depended on for foreign income came to a standstill. The destruction of the airport and roads also led difficulties in trade for most traders find it difficult to transport their goods to the market. Joblessness increased in the country since most of the employees who were working in the destroyed airport and ports lost their jobs. Individuals who also owned personal business that were destroyed were also not able to revenues to the governments anymore thus reducing government’s revenue collection. Destruction of farms in Haiti resulted in the economy's great downfall since agriculture was the most popular income generating activity in the country. The Haiti government now depends on foreign aid to sustain itself (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna 55). Just like Haiti, the Chilean government had faced economical problems. The only difference was that the magnitude of economical loss experienced by Chile was not that much compared to Haiti. The main problem in Chile that might have affected its economic stability was resettlement of the displaced individuals. This forced the government into using some of the resources in funding this process. Chile’s economy unlike Haiti’s, was stable enough to deal with these problems. Generally, economical losses that resulted from the consequences of these respective countries differed a lot. Should the economical losses experienced by these two countries be weighed, it is clear that Chile experienced a lower economical loss compared to Haiti. Comparison of the aid received by these two countries The consequences impacted by the two earthquakes have resulted in a huge loss to the economy of these countries thus exposing these countries to require help. This program has been necessitated by various countries coming to provide aid to these problems. These aids have been donated by various countries including the U.S. among others. In the process it is revealed that Haiti tends to receive a lot of aid compared to Chile. Factors that made Haiti receiving a lot of aid compared to Chile include the following: The first and the major factor is the degree of loss that the earthquake has impacted on the respective countries. Since Haiti has suffered a bigger blow through the destruction of the ports, destructions of the firm and displacement of many individuals. It is clear that their economy had dropped almost to the ground hence the need for more resources to enable it sustains itself. Some of the donations Haiti has received from donors include; $2millon from U.N to assist it in necessitating textile manufacturing to at least maintain an export of almost $130 million (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna p65). Lessons and measures taken to control earthquakes in Chile and Haiti After the earthquakes had occurred, these two countries had to come up with some strategies on how to rebuild back their economies in their respective countries. The major thing that they first considered was the infrastructure. Infrastructure was prioritized since roads and buildings are the key factors when it comes to the improvement of the economy (Oxfam America 56). For instance, in Haiti, lack of proper equipments to clean the roads after the earthquake was like a call to the survived citizens to take to the streets for the purpose of cleaning the streets manually (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna p77). Unlike the Haiti, Chile’s economy allowed them to own building machines that enhanced easier and faster reconstruction of their house and roads. It can also be said during the reconstruction of infrastructure in Chile, the code of constructional materials was considered unlike in Chile. It is important to note that Chile experienced earthquake of a higher magnitude compared to that experienced in Haiti yet Haiti suffered more compared to Chile. This was actually because Chile had anticipated the earthquake even put some measures in place that helped them control the effects that were expected unlike in Haiti. It is also clear that Chile had the experiences on consequences resulting from earthquakes unlike the Haitians. It is this experience from the past occurrences of earthquakes in their country that forced them to come up with a number earthquake control measures. Before, these measures were taken into place it was clear that earthquakes are a natural occurrence which cannot be stopped from occurring, but they can either be deviated or their magnitude can be reduced hence the reasons for precaution. Some of the measures taken by the Chileans include the following: first was the introduction of strict building code that enhanced the construction of stronger buildings which were able to stand the forces of the earthquakes. The other precaution that was taken by the Chileans was the creation of robust emergency response (Castanos, Heriberta & Cinna 50). Through this introduction, Chileans were able to respond swiftly when the symptoms of earthquakes were seen or detected. The third advantage that helped the Chileans was their long experience in handling seismic catastrophes. Conclusion The comparison of Haiti and Chile earthquake occurrence can be used to explain the importance of being cautious and prepared. Ironically it is realized that Chile experienced the earthquake of a higher magnitude than Haiti yet it was Haiti that suffered a great loss. This implies that even though earthquakes are natural occurrences and cannot be prevented; there are still ways through which they can either be deviated. It is also important for the government officials from countries which are risk experiencing this natural occurrence to come up with measures that will ensure security among its citizens. Therefore it is notable that the magnitude of an earthquake does not determine the magnitude of its destruction. Instead, it is the precautionary measures put in place for the purpose of tackling the earthquakes that determines the weight of its effects. Finally, it is important to note that infrastructure and proper governance are the key factors to better economy. Works Cited Castanos, Heriberta, and Cinna Lomnitz. Earthquake disasters in Latin America a holistic approach. Dordrecht: Springer, 2012. Print. . Farmer, Paul, & Joia, Mukherjee. Haiti after the earthquake. New York: PublicAffairs, 2011. Print. Oxfam America. "Haiti earthquake 2010 | Oxfam International." Oxfam International Working together to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. N.p., 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. . Read More