Part 5 : Responses to Earthquakes

‘O’ Level only

Why do people live in such places?

•Favorable living conditions

•Fertile soil conditions for agriculture.

•No alternative location to live in.

•Case of no choice

3 approaches to earthquakes

1.Fatalistic approach

2.Acceptance approach

3.Adaptation approach

Fatalistic approach

•People who accept earthquakes as unavoidable.

• Tend to resist evacuation in the face of an earthquake.

•Common for communities in less developed countries with limited access to other places.

•People who live near Mt Pinatubo.

Acceptance approach

•People who accept the risk of living in earthquake-prone areas due to the benefits of living in that area.

•Benefit outweigh the costs of moving away.

•Mostly accepted by the developed countries.

•People of Christchurch.

Adaptation approach

•People who successfully live in earthquake-prone areas as they are well prepared.

•Use of earthquake monitoring devices, risk assessment, technology to increase earthquake resistance.

•Costly approach but able to save many lives and property.

•People in Taiwan and Japan.

Responding to earthquakes

•Preparedness measures

•Land use regulations

•Building design

• Infrastructure development

•Emergency drills

•Use of technologyPg 50 to

54Read!

Suitability of preparedness measures

•Use of specific measure / package of measures dependent on factors

•Affordability of implementation

• Education level of population

•Availability of resources

• Suitability of application

Short-term responses

• The immediate responses that a country needs to adopt upon experiencing the disaster

• Handling the status of the affected zones

• Searching and rescuing casualties

• Providing medical aid, food and water

• Setting up emergency shelters

• Calling for humanitarian aid (international aid)

Long-term responses

• Post disaster action to prevent / alleviate impact of future potential disasters

• Improving infrastructure

• Compensation of land and property loss.

• Ensuring the economic recovery of the affected region

• Managing health options (psychological impact)

There is no single quick fix solution to any natural

disasters. Every situation and condition and location is

different and the dynamic situation needs to be dealt

with based on the resources available at the moment of

the disaster.

The End