preview

Haiti Earthquake 7.0 Earthquake

Decent Essays

A natural disaster has the capability to cause large scale damage and destruction to an area. Seismic events have been known to alter landscapes and affect the livelihoods, health and development of communities. No two earthquake events are the same and the level of threat posed by an earthquake can vary due to both the human and physical factors of an area. The 2010 magnitude - 7.0 earthquake that occurred in Haiti is an example of where a natural disaster caused a previously vulnerable area to suffer tremendous loss and debilitating socio-economic impacts, to an already poverty-stricken nation. The earthquake occurred on the 12th of January 2010, a slip along the conservative boundary situated along Haiti caused a significant earthquake with subsequent damaging aftershocks. As can be seen in figure 1 the shaking intensity was strongest at the epicentre of the …show more content…

The key lessons that have been learnt from the event is that those in charge of ensuring the safety of Haiti’s citizens need to recognize the risk of their location and acknowledge the advice of seismologists for any future seismic events. The implementation of early warning systems and the use of SMS messaging as seen in Japan would greatly reduce the hazard of an earthquake. In addition, environmental management is crucial for the long term survival of Haiti, strategies to reduce deforestation and claiming back land unsuitable for housing would lead to better soil quality and less risk of landslides and liquefaction to buildings should another event occur. However, the main lesson to be drawn from the disaster is the need for proper construction techniques and guidelines. Education and training to provide construction workers with enough knowledge to make future infrastructure earthquake

Get Access