chile earthquake 2010 geography case study

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Geography Revision

Revision materials to support you in preparing for your GCSE Geography exams. 

GCSE | AQA |  The Challenge of Natural Hazards | Case Study – HIC Earthquake

• What is a natural hazard?
• Types of Natural Hazards
• Hazard Risk
• Plate Tectonics
• Why do tectonic plates move?
• The global distribution of volcanoes and earthquakes
• Destructive plate margins
• Conservative plate margins
• Constructive plate margins

Revision Notes

Causes of earthquakes

Measuring earthquakes

What are the effects of earthquakes?

Responses to earthquakes

Case Study – HIC Earthquake

Case Study – LIC/NEE Earthquake

Living in tectonically active areas

Earthquake management

Interactive Revision

• On 24 August 2016, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit central Italy near Norcia.
• The earthquake’s epicentre was shallow, at a depth of 5.1 km.
• It was the strongest quake in Italy since the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake, which killed over 300 people.
• The Amatrice earthquake was felt over 100 miles away, including in Rome.
• Amatrice, the town closest to the epicentre, suffered significant social, economic, and environmental impacts.
• Italy’s seismic activity is due to its location on the Eurasian and African plate collision border, creating multiple fault lines.
• Two major fault lines, north-south and east-west, contribute to the country’s geological instability.
• The Apennines are stretching northwest at about 3 mm per year, causing pressure buildup along faults, leading to earthquakes when released.

Primary Effects

The  primary effects  of the Amatrice earthquake include:

• Two hundred ninety-nine people died, 400 were injured, and 4454 were homeless.
• 293 historic buildings were damaged or destroyed, including the Basilica of San Francesco in Amatrice
• Over half the buildings in Amatrice were damaged or destroyed. Despite their reinforcements, 80 per cent of the buildings in the old town were affected.
• Although the government allocated €1 billion for building improvements since the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake, many properties did not meet seismic building standards. The uptake of the funding had been low.
• Despite being restored in 2012, the school in Amatrice collapsed, indicating substandard building practices.

Secondary Effects

The secondary effects of the Amatrice earthquake include:

• Landslides blocked roads, making access to the area difficult.
• Local residents suffered psychological damage.
• Individuals were reported to have been involved in looting.
• Unsafe buildings led to the town centre being cordoned off. This had a negative impact on  tourism .
• Ninety per cent of barns and stalls for sheep, goats, and cattle in the affected area were destroyed, alongside the mechanical milking systems. As a result, farmers struggled to milk by hand, leaving their cattle at risk of mastitis, an udder-tissue disease. Farmers struggled to make a living in the aftermath of the earthquake.
• The earthquake resulted in an estimated $11 billion in economic losses.

Immediate Responses

• Ten thousand homeless people were accommodated in 58 tent camps.
• Sports halls were converted to provide shelter, and hotels on the Adriatic coasts were used to home people temporarily.
• Many rescue workers arrived within an hour of the earthquake. Five thousand soldiers, alpine guides, and the Italian Red Cross were involved in searching for survivors, providing food and water, and supplying tents. Seventy dog teams and twelve helicopters were involved in the rescue effort.
• Six of the Vatican’s 37 firefighters have travelled to Amatrice to help civil  protection  workers look for survivors.
• A temporary hospital was set up, and patients at Amazatrice Hospital, severely damaged during the earthquake, were transferred to a nearby hospital in Rieti.
• Appeals were made by the national blood donation service to ensure demand was met.
• Facebook activated safety check features so local people could inform family and friends they were safe.
• Locals removed passwords from Wi-Fi at the Italian Red Cross’s request so rescue teams could communicate more effectively.
• The Italian Government announced a €50 million emergency response. Taxes for residents were cancelled, and reconstruction work began immediately.

Long-term Responses 

• Students were educated in neighbouring schools, while 12 classrooms were constructed in prefabricated buildings in Amatrice.
• Six months following the earthquake, the government promised to move people from temporary camps into wooden houses.
• The cost of rebuilding was reduced by tax incentives, allowing 65 per cent of total renovation costs to be used as tax breaks.
• Villages were rebuilt, with the building of the same character through a €42 million government initiative called ‘Italian Homes’.
• A year on, 2.4 million tons of debris and rubble remained in the areas affected by the earthquake.
• At 3:34 am on 27 February 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile.
• The earthquake happened at a destructive plate margin , where the Nazca Plate subducts the South American plate.
• A series of smaller aftershocks followed it.
• Tsunami warnings were issued due to waves travelling from the epicentre across the Pacific Ocean at speeds of about 800 km/h.
• Around 500 people died, and 12,000 people were injured. Over 800,000 people were affected.
• Two hundred twenty thousand homes, 4500 schools, 56 hospitals, and 53 ports were destroyed.
• Santiago Airport and the Port of Talahuanao were severely damaged.
• The earthquake disrupted power, water supplies and communications across Chile.
• The cost of the earthquake is estimated to be US$30 billion.
• Tsunami waves devastated several coastal towns.
• The  tsunami  struck several Pacific countries; however, warnings prevented a loss of life.
• A fire at a Santiago chemical plant led to the local area being evacuated.
• Landslides destroyed up to 1500 km of roads, cutting off remote communities for days.
• Emergency services responded quickly.
• International support provided field hospitals, satellite phones and floating bridges.
• Within 24 hours, the north-south highway was temporarily repaired, allowing aid to be transported from Santiago to areas affected by the earthquake.
• Within ten days, 90% of homes had restored power and water.
• US$60 million was raised after a national appeal, which funded 30,000 small emergency shelters.
• Chile’s government launched a housing reconstruction plan just one month after the earthquake to help nearly 200,000 families.
• Chile’s strong economy reduced the need for foreign aid to fund rebuilding.
• The recovery took over four years.

Christchurch

• The earthquake struck New Zealand’s South Island, 10km west of Christchurch, at 12:51 pm on 22nd February 2011, lasting just 10 seconds.
• It measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale and had a very shallow depth of 4.99 km.
• The quake occurred along a conservative margin between the Pacific Plate and the Australasian Plate.
• An animated map of the Christchurch earthquake shows a swarm of foreshocks and aftershocks.

The  primary effects  included:

• Christchurch, New Zealand’s second city, experienced extensive damage
• 185 people were killed
• 3129 people were injured
• 6800 people received minor injuries
• 100,000 properties were damaged, and the earthquake demolished 10,000
• $28 billion of damage was caused
• water and sewage pipes were damaged
• the cathedral spire collapsed
• liquefaction  destroyed many roads and buildings
• 2200 people had to live in temporary housing

The  secondary effects  included:

• five Rugby World Cup matches were cancelled
• schools were closed for two weeks
• 1/5 of the population migrated from the city
• many businesses were closed for a long time
• two large aftershocks struck Christchurch less than four months after the city was devastated
• Economists have suggested that it will take 50 to 100 years for New Zealand’s economy to recover
• 80% of respondents to a post-event survey stated that their lives had changed significantly since the earthquake

The  immediate responses  included:

• around $6-7 million of  Money, goods and services given by the government of one country or a multilateral institution such as the World Bank or International Monetary Fund to help the quality of life and economy of another country.

“> international aid  was provided

• The Red Cross and other charities supplied aid workers
• rescue crews from all over the world, including the UK, USA, Taiwan and Australia, provided support
• more than 300 Australian police officers flew into Christchurch three days after the earthquake. They were sworn in with New Zealand policing powers and worked alongside New Zealand officers, enforcing law and order and reassuring the people of Christchurch
• 30,000 residents were provided with chemical toilets

The long-term responses included:

• the construction of around 10,000 affordable homes
• water and sewage were restored by August 2011
• the New Zealand government provided temporary housing
• Many NGOs provided support, including Save the Children
• Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority was created to organise rebuilding the region. It had special powers to change  planning  laws and regulations.
• A 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s northeast coast, 250 miles from Tokyo, at a depth of 20 miles on March 11, 2011, at 2:46 pm local time.
• Occurred 250 miles off the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island.
• The earthquake resulted from the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, a destructive plate margin.
• Built-up friction over time led to a massive ‘megathrust’ earthquake.
• Energy release was 600 million times the energy of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb.
• Post-earthquake studies found a thin, slippery clay layer in the subduction zone , which allowed a significant plate displacement of 164 feet and contributed to the massive earthquake and tsunami .
• The combination of the earthquake’s shallow depth and high magnitude generated a devastating tsunami.
• 15,894 people died, and 26,152 were injured.
• 130,927 displaced, with 2,562 missing.
• 332,395 buildings, 2,126 roads, 56 bridges, and 26 railways damaged or destroyed.
• 300 hospitals damaged, 11 destroyed.
• Over 4.4 million households in northeast Japan were without electricity.
• Significant disruptions to Japan’s transport network.
• Coastal land subsidence by over 50 cm in some areas.
• Due to tectonic shifts, North East Japan moved 2.4 m closer to North America.
• Pacific plate slipped westwards by 20 to 40 m.
• Seabed near the epicentre shifted by 24 m; off Miyagi province by 3 m.
• Earthquake altered Earth’s axis by 10 to 25 cm, shortening the day by 1.8 microseconds.
• Liquefaction damaged 1,046 buildings in Tokyo’s reclaimed land areas.
• The earthquake cost was estimated at US$235 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster in history.
• Tsunami waves up to 40m high caused widespread devastation, killing thousands and causing damage and pollution up to 6 miles inland; only 58% heeded tsunami warnings.
• Fukushima nuclear power station experienced a meltdown in seven reactors; radiation levels spiked to over eight times the norm.
• Transport networks in rural areas were severely disrupted; the tsunami destroyed major roads and railways and derailed trains.
• The ‘Japan Move Forward Committee’ suggested young adults and teenagers could aid in rebuilding efforts.
• Coastal changes included a 250-mile stretch of coastline dropping by 0.6m, allowing the tsunami to travel further inland.
• The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings three minutes after the earthquake.
• Scientists had been able to predict where the tsunami would hit after the earthquake using modelling and forecasting technology so that responses could be directed to the appropriate areas.
• Rescue workers and around 100,000 members of the Japan Self-Defence Force were dispatched to help with search and rescue operations within hours of the tsunami hitting the coast.
• Although many search and rescue teams focused on recovering bodies washing up on shore following the tsunami, some people were rescued from under the rubble with the help of sniffer dogs.
• The government declared a 20 km  evacuation  zone around the Fukushima nuclear power plant to reduce the threat of radiation exposure to local residents.
• Japan received international help from the US military, and search and rescue teams were sent from New Zealand, India, South Korea, China and Australia.
• Access to the affected areas was restricted because many were covered in debris and mud following the tsunami, so it wasn’t easy to provide immediate support in some areas.
• Hundreds of thousands of people who had lost their homes were evacuated to temporary shelters in schools and other public buildings or relocated to other areas.
• Many evacuees came from the  exclusion zone  surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant. After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, those in the area had their radiation levels checked, and their health monitored to ensure they did not receive dangerous exposure to radiation. Many evacuated from the area around the nuclear power plant were given iodine tablets to reduce the risk of radiation poisoning.
• One month post-disaster, Japan established the Reconstruction Policy Council for National Recovery, focusing on tsunami-resilient communities.
• The government allocated 23 trillion yen for a ten-year recovery plan, introducing ‘Special Zones for Reconstruction’ to attract investments in Tohoku.
• Coastal protection policies involving seawalls and breakwaters were adopted to withstand tsunamis with a 150-year recurrence interval.
• Enacted ‘Act on the Development of Tsunami-resilient Communities’ prioritizing human life and promoting infrastructure and defence measures against major tsunamis.
• Post-earthquake, Japan faced economic challenges, with the disaster impacting stock market values and raising concerns about economic recovery.
• Infrastructure repair included 375 km of the Tohoku Expressway and Sendai Airport runway, with significant efforts from the Japanese Defence Force and the US Army.
• Reconstruction efforts also focused on restoring energy, water supply, and telecommunications infrastructure, achieving significant restoration rates by November 2011.

L’Aquila

• A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit L’Aquila, central Italy, on 6 April 2009, resulting in 309 fatalities.
• The main shock occurred at 3.32 am, causing extensive damage to the 13th-century city, situated approximately 60 miles northeast of Rome.
• This event was Italy’s most severe earthquake since the 1980 Irpinia earthquake.
• The earthquake’s cause was normal faulting on the northwest-southeast-trending Paganica Fault, influenced by extensional tectonic forces from the Tyrrhenian Basin’s opening.
• L’Aquila experienced several thousand foreshocks and aftershocks since December 2008, with over thirty exceeding a 3.5 Richter magnitude.
• The L’Aquila earthquake damaged or collapsed 3,000 to 11,000 buildings, injuring around 1,500 people, and made approximately 40,000 homeless.
• Twenty children were among the 309 fatalities, and around 40,000 individuals were displaced, with 10,000 housed in coastal hotels.
• The European Union estimated the earthquake’s total damage to be US$1.1 billion.
• Historic buildings sustained severe damage, leading to widespread abandonment. Streets were blocked by fallen masonry, and a significant aftershock damaged the local hospital.
• The Basilica of Saint Bernardino, a major Renaissance church, and its campanile were severely damaged.
• Modern structures, including the earthquake-proof wing of L’Aquila Hospital, also suffered extensive damage, leading to its closure.
• Displaced persons found temporary shelter in tented camps and hotels along the coast.
• Aftershocks from the L’Aquila earthquake triggered landslides and rockfalls, damaging homes and transportation infrastructure.
• A burst main water supply pipeline near Paganio caused a landslide and mudflow.
• Student enrollment at L’Aquila University declined post-earthquake.
• The scarcity of housing led to increased house prices and rents.
• Much of the city’s central business district was cordoned off due to unsafe buildings, resulting in some areas remaining as ‘red zones’.
• These ‘red zones’ have negatively impacted business, tourism , and income in the area.
• Hotels sheltered 10,000 people; 40,000 tents were distributed to the homeless.
• Some train carriages were repurposed as shelters.
• Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi offered his homes for temporary shelters.
• Italian Red Cross, supported by dog units and ambulances, searched for survivors and set up a temporary hospital.
• The Red Cross distributed water, meals, tents, and blankets; the British Red Cross raised £171,000.
• Mortgages, Sky TV, gas, and electricity bills were suspended.
• Italian Post Office provided free mobile calls, raised donations, and offered free delivery for small businesses.
• L’Aquila declared a state of emergency, facilitating international aid from the EU and USA.
• EU granted US$552.9 million from its Solidarity Fund for rebuilding efforts.
• Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) did not provide aid, deeming Italy capable with its resources and EU support.
• A torch-lit procession and Catholic mass are held on the anniversary for remembrance.
• Residents were exempt from taxes in 2010.
• Students received free public transport , discounts on educational equipment, and an exemption from university fees for three years.
• Home reconstruction took years; historical centres may take 15 years to rebuild.
• Six scientists and one government official were initially convicted of manslaughter for not predicting the earthquake, sentenced to six years in prison, and fined millions in damages.
• In November 2014, the convictions of the six scientists were overturned by Italian courts.

New Zealand 2016

• A magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit New Zealand’s South Island on November 14th, 2016, at 00.02 am, resulting in at least two fatalities.
• The quake was felt up to 120 miles away, including in Wellington, the capital on the North Island.
• A tsunami warning was issued two hours post-quake, advising people on the eastern coast to move inland or higher ground.
• Two people died.
• Fifty people were injured.
• Sixty people needed emergency housing.
• Over 190km of roads and 200km of railway lines were destroyed
• Twenty thousand buildings were damaged or destroyed.
• Water, sewerage & power supplies were cut off.
• Total damage is estimated at US $8.5 billion.
• One hundred thousand landslides blocked roads and railways.
• A landslide blocked the Clarence River, causing flooding. Ten farms were evacuated.
• The earthquake triggered a tsunami of 5m, leaving debris up to 250 metres inland.
• A tsunami warning was issued, and residents were told to reach higher ground.
• Hundreds were housed in emergency shelters.
• Two hundred vulnerable people were evacuated by helicopter.
• Power was restored within hours. International warships were sent to Kaikoura with food, medicine and portable toilets.
• Temporary water supplies were set up.
• Other countries sent food and medicine.
• $5.3 million from the District Council for repairs and rebuilding.
• Road and rail routes reopened within two years.
• A relief fund was set up to provide basic supplies.
• By March 2017, a permanent water main had been laid in Kaikoura. the new pipe was designed to move with any future earthquakes so it wouldn’t break

Case study – LIC/NEE earthquake

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Report on the 2010 Chilean earthquake and tsunami response

In July 2010, in an effort to reduce future catastrophic natural disaster losses for California, the American Red Cross coordinated and sent a delegation of 20 multidisciplinary experts on earthquake response and recovery to Chile. The primary goal was to understand how the Chilean society and relevant organizations responded to the magnitude 8.8 Maule earthquake that struck the region on February 27, 2010, as well as how an application of these lessons could better prepare California communities, response partners and state emergency partners for a comparable situation. Similarities in building codes, socioeconomic conditions, and broad extent of the strong shaking make the Chilean earthquake a very close analog to the impact of future great earthquakes on California. To withstand and recover from natural and human-caused disasters, it is essential for citizens and communities to work together to anticipate threats, limit effects, and rapidly restore functionality after a crisis.

The delegation was hosted by the Chilean Red Cross and received extensive briefings from both national and local Red Cross officials. During nine days in Chile, the delegation also met with officials at the national, regional, and local government levels. Technical briefings were received from the President’s Emergency Committee, emergency managers from ONEMI (comparable to FEMA), structural engineers, a seismologist, hospital administrators, firefighters, and the United Nations team in Chile. Cities visited include Santiago, Talca, Constitución, Concepción, Talcahuano, Tumbes, and Cauquenes. The American Red Cross Multidisciplinary Team consisted of subject matter experts, who carried out special investigations in five Teams on the (1) science and engineering findings, (2) medical services, (3) emergency services, (4) volunteer management, and (5) executive and management issues (see appendix A for a full list of participants and their titles and teams). While developing this delegation, it was clear that a multidisciplinary approach was required to properly analyze the emergency response, technical, and social components of this disaster. A diverse and knowledgeable delegation was necessary to analyze the Chilean response in a way that would be beneficial to preparedness in California, as well as improve mitigation efforts around the United States.

By most standards, the Maule earthquake was a catastrophe for Chile. The economic losses totaled $30 billion USD or 17% of the GDP of the country. Twelve million people, or ¾ of the population of the country, were in areas that felt strong shaking. Yet only 521 fatalities have been confirmed, with 56 people still missing and presumed dead in the tsunami.

The Science and Technology Team evaluated the impacts of the earthquake on built environment with implications for the United States. The fires following the earthquake were minimal in part because of the shutdown of the national electrical grid early in the shaking. Only five engineer-designed buildings were destroyed during the earthquake; however, over 350,000 housing units were destroyed. Chile has a law that holds building owners liable for the first 10 years of a building’s existence for any losses resulting from inadequate application of the building code during construction. This law was cited by many our team met with as a prime reason for the strong performance of the built environment. Overall, this earthquake demonstrated that strict building codes and standards could greatly reduce losses in even the largest earthquakes. In the immediate response to the earthquake and tsunami, first responders, emergency personnel, and search and rescue teams handled many challenges. Loss of communications was significant; many lives were lost and effective coordination to support life-sustaining efforts was gravely impacted due to a lack of inter- and intra-agency coordination.

The Health and Medical Services Team sought to understand the medical disaster response strategies and operations of Chilean agencies, including perceived or actual failures in disaster preparation that impacted the medical disaster response; post-disaster health and medical interventions to save lives and limit suffering; and the lessons learned by public health and medical personnel as a result of their experiences. Despite devastating damage to the health care and civic infrastructure, the health care response to the Chilean earthquake appeared highly successful due to several factors. Like other first responders, the medical community had the ability and resourcefulness to respond without centralized control in the early response phase. The health care community maintained patient care under austere conditions, despite many obstacles that could have prevented such care. National and international resources were rapidly mobilized to support the medical response.

The Emergency Services Team sought to collect information on all phases of emergency management (preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery) and determine what worked well and what could be improved upon. The Chileans reported being surprised that they were not as ready for this event as they thought they were. The use of mass care sheltering was limited, given the scope of the disaster, because of the resiliency of the population. The impacts of the earthquake and the tsunami were quite different, as were the needs of urban and rural dwellers, necessitating different response activities.

The Volunteer Services Team examined the challenges faced in mobilizing a large number of volunteers to assist in the aftermath of a disaster of this scale. One of the greatest challenges expressed was difficulty in communication; the need for redundancy in communication mechanisms was cited. The flexibility and ability to work autonomously by the frontline volunteers was a significant factor in effective response. It was also important for volunteer leadership to know the emergency plans. These plans need to be flexible, include alternative options, and be completed in conjunction with local officials and other volunteers. The Executive/Red Cross Management Team took a broad look at the impacts of the earthquake and the implications for California. Some of the most important preparation for the disaster came from relationships formed before the event. The communities with strong connections between different government services generally fared well. The initial response and resilience of individuals and communities was another important component. Communication system failures limited the ability of a central government to assist impacted communities, or to issue tsunami warnings. It also delayed the response since the government did not know (in some case for several days) the impact and needs of local governments. In general, plans for congregate care shelters existed but were little used as most people chose to stay at damaged homes or with relatives. Looting was a surprise to response officials as well as social scientists, but both public and private sector organizations, including NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), must consider security for damaged businesses as a priority in California’s multihazard planning. Class and ethnic divisions that become heightened during some cases of actual or perceived injustice may also emerge in natural disasters in California.

Several factors contributed overall to the low casualty rate and rapid recovery. A major factor is the strong building code in Chile and its comprehensive enforcement. In particular, Chile has a law that holds building owners accountable for losses in a building they build for 10 years. A second factor was the limited number of fires after the earthquake. In the last few California earthquakes, 60% of the fires were started by electrical problems, so the rarity of fires may have been affected by the shut down of the electricity grid early in the earthquake. Third, in many areas, the local emergency response was very effective. The most effective regions had close coordination between emergency management, fire, and police and were empowered to respond without communication with the capital. The fourth factor was the overall high level of knowledge about earthquakes and tsunamis by much of the population that helped them respond more appropriately after the event.

Citation Information

Urban Resilience for Risk and Adaptation Governance pp 285–304 Cite as

Planning Recovery and Reconstruction After the 2010 Maule Earthquake and Tsunami in Chile

• Stephen Platt 9  
• First Online: 03 August 2018

1314 Accesses

2 Citations

Part of the book series: Resilient Cities ((RCRUT))

This chapter analyses the urban planning process and the disaster recovery strategies adopted, both at the national and local level, after the Maule Chilean earthquake of 27 February 2010. In particular it focuses on how well Chile balanced the need for speed with building back better and how effective was the transition from temporary relief to long-term resilience.

In part, the analysis is based on a field trip conducted by the author eighteen months after the disaster (Platt S, Reconstruction in Chile post 2010 earthquake. CAR, Cambridge (2012a)). The author visited three cities: Concepción, Viña del Mar and Valparaiso, that were subject to earthquake damage and three coastal settlements, Tumbes, Dichato and Tubul in the Region Bio-Bio, that were hit by the subsequent tsunami. He interviewed senior people in the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism responsible for coordinating national reconstruction, people in Bio-Bio responsible for reconstruction in that region and residents in the coastal settlements.

This study of disaster recovery in Chile is one of a series of 10 case studies of places that have suffered major earthquake related disasters in the recent past. The performance and effectiveness of the strategies and solutions in Chile are compared with those in these other places (Platt S, So E, Speed or deliberation - a comparison of post disaster recovery in Japan, Turkey and Chile. Disasters (Online; forthcoming in print): https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12219 (2016); Platt S, Factors affecting the speed and quality of post disaster recovery and resilience. In: Olafsson S, Rupakhety R (eds) Recent developments in earthquake engineering and structural dynamics: in memory of Prof. Ragnar Sigjörnsson. Spinger. (forthcoming) (2017)).

Most significantly Chile did better, in terms of the speed and quality of recovery, than any of the other countries. The chapter explores the reasons underlying this relative success and offers important lessons for planning recovery after all types of major natural disaster.

• Disaster recovery
• Reconstruction

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Platt, S. (2019). Planning Recovery and Reconstruction After the 2010 Maule Earthquake and Tsunami in Chile. In: Brunetta, G., Caldarice, O., Tollin, N., Rosas-Casals, M., Morató, J. (eds) Urban Resilience for Risk and Adaptation Governance. Resilient Cities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76944-8_16

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Comparing the Chile 2010 and Nepal 2015 earthquakes

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Haiti Earthquake 2010 Case Study A-Level Geography OCR

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This 3 page case study consists of four sections (facts at a glance, vulnerability, impacts, and recovery), all of which are valuable knowledge to students studying A-Level Geography OCR. This particular Haiti case study is for the Hazard Earth topic.

This case study will help students get an understanding of the different ways in which earthquakes can impact countries differently based on various socio-economic and political factors. It shows how a low income developing country deals with our hazardous earth and its natural disasters (looking at housing, health-care, economic recovery, and more, and the challenges which arise with each)

The 2010 Haiti earthquake had widespread impacts on the country and attracted aid in different forms from all over the world. It also shows the devastating impact natural events can have on a population , so acts as a good case study for students to learn about as part of the hazardous earth topic of the OCR specification.

A-Level geography is a great subject for A-Level students to learn. It teaches them a range of topics from different landscape systems, understanding food around the world, migration patterns, and more. All of which will be used by students throughout their careers and beyond.

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