Just-in-Time Lecture China Earthquake: 12 May 2008

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Lecture objectives  To provide the best possible scientific information about the China earthquake, 12 May 2008  To teach how the science can help Chinese to be prepared for primary & secondary prevention of consequences of earthquake

Lecture Objectives In this lecture you will find:  How the vulnerability conditions can change a natural hazard to a disaster?

What is the Earthquake? The shaking of earth caused by waves moving on and below the earth's surface and causing: surface faulting, tremors vibration, liquefaction, landslides, aftershocks and/or tsunamis.

How Earthquake Happens?  It caused by a sudden slip on a FAULT.  Stresses in the earth's outer layer push sides of fault together.  Stress builds up & rocks slips suddenly, releasing energy in waves that travel through the earth's CRUST & cause the shaking that we Feel during an earthquake.

I) Magnitude:  Definition: A measure of actual physical energy release at its source as estimated from instrumental observations.  Scale: Richter Scale By Charles Richter, 1936 Open-ended scale The oldest & most widely used Noji 1997 Earthquake Strength Measures I) Magnitude & II) Intensity

II) Intensity:  Definition: a measure of the felt or perceived effects of an earthquake rather than the strength of the earthquake itself.  Scale: Modified Mercalli (MM) scale 12-point scale, ranges from barely perceptible earthquakes at MM I to near total destruction at MM XII Earthquake Strength Measures I) Magnitude & II) Intensity

 Magnitude refers to the force of the earthquake as a whole, while intensity refers to the effects of an earthquake at a particular site.  An earthquake can have just one magnitude, while intensity is usually strongest close to the epicenter & is weaker the farther a site is from the epicenter.  The intensity of an earthquake is more germane to its public health consequences than its magnitude. Magnitude versus Intensity

Please see the following addresses for above title: Part I. Part II. Public Health Consequences of Earthquakes

The most populous country 3rd largest country – 23 provinces – 5 autonomous regions – 4 municipalities – 2 special administrative regions (Hong Kong & Macau) 56 ethnic groups: – 91.6% Han people – 8.4% others Peoples Republic of China

World’s economic superpower Fastest-growing nation for the past 25 years Average annual GDP growth rate above 10% Economic Development in China

Urban areas: Street clinics – primary health care District hospitals – secondary care City hospitals – tertiary care Rural area: Village clinics – primary care Township hospitals – secondary care Country hospitals – tertiary care Health System Structure in China

China’s Health Statistics Population Population1,323,350,000 Gross national income per capita (PPP international $) Gross national income per capita (PPP international $)6,600 Life expectancy at birth m/f (years) Life expectancy at birth m/f (years)71/74 Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2002) Healthy life expectancy at birth m/f (years, 2002)63/65 Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2004) Total expenditure on health per capita (Intl $, 2004)277 Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2004) Total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2004)4.7 Source: WHO

10 Top Disaster in China Sorted by Damage US$ DisasterDateDamage US$ (000's) 1 Flood1-Jul-9830,000,000 2 DroughtJan-9413,755,200 3 Flood30-Jun-9612,600,000 4 Flood23-Jun-998,100,000 5 Flood23-Jun-037,890,000 6 Flood1-Jun-917,500,000 7 Flood15-May-956,720,000 8 FloodAug-966,314,500 9 FloodJun-936,061, Earthquake27-Jul-765,600,000

History of Deadly Earthquakes in China Earthquake CenterYearDeath Toll 1Shaanxi ,000 2Tangshan ,000 3Haiyuan ,000 4Chihli ,000 5Changma, Gansu193270,000 6Gulang, Gansu e192740,000 7Tonghai197015,621 8Sichuan Diexi19336,800 9Haicheng19752,041 Source: Wikipedia

Sichuan Province Area 485,000 km² Population (2004) 87,250,000 (3rd) Density 180 /km² (22nd) Major nationalities – Han 95.0% – Yi 2.6% – Tibetan 1.5% – Qiang 0.4%

Magnitude: 7.9 Richter scale Local earthquake time: Beijing-time Location: °N, °E Depth: 19 km (11.8 miles) West Sichuan Earthquake, 12 th May 2008

Tectonics of Sichuan Earthquake Motion on a northeast striking reverse fault or thrust fault on the northwestern margin of the Sichuan Basin

National Mourning Three-days period of national mourning The Chinese National Flag and Regional Flags of Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR were raised at half mast. National Mourning Yahoo news

Affected population: Millions and 5.2 Millions left homeless Death Tolls & Casualties (as of 23 rd May) Affected population: Millions and 5.2 Millions left homeless Source: OCHA reports

Infrastructure Damage 1Collapsed Buildings5.36 Million $ 2Damaged Buildings21 Million $ 3Pipes5,000 km 4Water tanks839 5Water treatment works1,281

Irrigation systems for 100,000 hectares of paddy fields > 50,000 greenhouses 7.3 million square meters of livestock barns Agricultural Damage Relief web

Building Damage Number of damaged/collapsed: >15,000,000 Building earthquake resistant structures makes good economic sense: 3-5% for typical buildings

Giant Pandas Unknown situation of 280 giant pandas in Wolong National Nature Reserve

The world just passed a 2-years global campaign of Safe Schools The Global campaign focused on promoting the safety of school buildings & mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction (DRR) into school curricula or at least school activities. How are safe the schools in your community? International Campaign on School Safety

According WHO: 1)Treating The Injured 2)Communicable Disease Surveillance & Control 3)Ensuring Safe Water And Food Supply 4)Immediate & Long-term Mental Health & Psychosocial Support 5)Reconstruction Of Health Care System In The Affected Areas Public Health Priorities

> 3.3 million tents Garbage Treatment Facilities & Sewage Treatment Facilities Chemical proof protective clothing, Shoes and masks Radiation detector (X ray and Y ray survey meter, Personal dosimeter) Medical Instruments like ECG, Operational Kits, etc Medication for infectious disease Urgent Needs Source: UNOCHA situation report NO 6, 7 & 8

Do not forget children in Sichuan! At least 5,498 children have been left alone in Sichuan Province's quake zone, either because they have been orphaned or their parents cannot be located

Do not forget elderly in Sichuan! About 4,800 elderly people left alone due to death of their family or they have been separated from all their relatives

Secondary hazards: Possible dam failure 30 cm movement of China's largest earth-rock dam due to earthquake 400 damaged dams with possible threat to downstream people

Lake Formation & Flood Threat Creating natural dams by moved down rocks into rivers Formation of 21 lakes throughout the basin Dangers due to earthquake-created dams: – Upstream floods – Instability of the piles of rubble – Bursting the dam by another quake – Downstream floods by cascade of water – Evacuation of thousands of people from Beichuan

30 years continuous evolution in the practice of Crisis or Disaster Management  Civil defense  Emergency assistance  Disaster response and relief  Humanitarian assistance  Emergency management  Civil protection  Disaster mitigation and prevention  Disaster Risk Management Strategic shift from managing a disastrous event to more preventive and proactive approaches!!

A potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon or human activity that may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation. China EarthquakeGeologicalNatural Flood, HurricaneHydro meteorological PandemicBiological DeforestationEnvironmental degradationHyman Induced Nuclear releaseTechnological What is the Hazard?

What is the Vulnerability? The conditions determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards. Vulnerable Sichuan: oUnprepared people oNon-resistant house & school building oHigh-density population oetc.

What is Risk? The probability of harmful consequences, or expected losses (deaths, injuries, property, livelihoods, economic activity disrupted or environment damaged) resulting from interactions between natural or human-induced hazards & vulnerable conditions. Risk = Hazards x Vulnerability

What is a Disaster ? A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

Sichuan earthquake: Risk model Maybe Sichuan was not able to modify the hazard part of the earthquake risk model, and predict it precisely, BUT they could assess their vulnerability conditions and reduced them! This has been the same experience in Bam & Kashmir, Yogyakarta !

Risk awareness & Knowledge development including education, training, research and information are of the important fields of action for Disaster Risk Reduction! Just-in-Time Education Let’s teach the communities right now !

Please read carefully at: What we should do/do not before, during & after the earthquake?

Main Lesson Learned So, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale is a big earthquake, but not necessarily equal to a disaster. It is just movement of the earth crust. Our vulnerability has changed it to a disaster!!

References

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