Disaster responses and preparedness

Short-term, mid-term and long-term responses after the event.

Community Level: A very local level, possible just one village or refugee camp.

National Level: A whole country being helped or offering help. e.g Edhi foundation, deployment
of Pakistan medical corps and army teams to the area.

International Level: This might also refer to an international response to help people affected
country. Pakistan gets responses in the form of aid, funds, rescue, and rehabilitation mainly
from countries like USA, Germany, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Japan etc.

Flood responses:A case in point

In 2010 Pakistan was hit by its worst natural disaster - floodwater inundated up to one fifth of
the country and affected an estimated 20 million people. Oxfam launched an immediate
response to provide aid to more than 2.4 million people.
In 2012 fresh flooding in Pakistan's southern Sindh province put millions of people at renewed
risk of disease and widespread malnutrition.
Oxfam has helped 70,000 people worst affected by renewed flooding. At the one year
anniversary of 2010's devastating floods, Oxfam called on the Government of Pakistan to do
more to protect its people from disasters like these. For example, river embankments in Sindh
province have reportedly been increased by only 2-3 feet after the 2010 floods, rather than the
recommended 6 feet.
In order to cope with the situation, the Pakistan Government and international donors to
invest more in measures to reduce the impact of disasters, such as flood-resistant housing and
effective early warning systems.
Other international agencies responses

WHO's response to floods in Pakistan 2014

Red Crescent/red cross

USAID
Practice questions

State two climatic characteristics of humid sub-tropical region. [2]

State two climatic characteristics of Mediterranean climate zone. [2]

State two characteristics of western disturbances. [2]

State two benefits of flooding. [2]

Explain how Monsoon winds bring rainfall to Northern Pakistan. [4]

Explain the causes of Monsoon rainfall in Pakistan. [4]

Why do floods occur in Pakistan? [4]

Explain the factors affecting the climatic variation in Pakistan. [6]

Evaluate the impact of flooding on Upper and Lower Indus Plains in

Pakistan. [8]

Assess how Pakistan’s government has improved its ability to respond to river-
flood events.[8]

Relevant points that support the statement may include:

· After the 2010 floods, Pakistan extended its glacier-monitoring network to the Hindu
Kush, Karakoram and Himalayan mountain ranges. These systems track precipitation
patterns, the amount of glacial melt and resulting floods. Improved weather radar
systems have also helped to improve weather and flood predictions.
Therefore, the government has a better understanding of the potential size and extent
of future river-flood events.
· Another positive development is that the Pakistan government has signed the Hyogo
Framework for Action, designed to enable countries and communities to deal with
 disasters. This is a five-point plan and includes commitment to ‘strengthen disaster
preparedness for effective response at all levels’.
Relevant points to counter the statement might include:
· During the severe 2010 floods, the government was criticized for its slow and
disorganized response to the floods. The number of deaths, and loss of farmland and
infrastructure indicated that the government response lacked the resources to deal with
a large-scale flood event effectively. The 2015 floods showed that relatively little
progress with flood-management schemes had been made.
· A number of central and regional government agencies are involved in developing
flood-response plans and this could result in fragmented responses to future events,
reducing their effectiveness.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes are caused by sudden releases in energy from the earth's crust,
resulting in seismic waves.

Reasons

The reason for their fairly organized distribution is that they tend to be focused along
plate boundaries, where there are build ups and releases of pressure as plates
collide or diverge. Unlike volcanoes, earthquakes can be found at any plate
boundary.
Cause of earthquake in Pakistan

Two tectonic plates converge in northern Pakistan .This results in pressure that
causes fractures called faults. When pressure is released, sudden movement occurs
along the fault lines, resulting in an earthquake

Fold Mountains are mountains that form mainly by the effects of folding on layers
within the upper part of the Earth's crust. These forces act at line to the surface of
the earth and are primarily a result of plate tectonics

Examples of Fold Mountains include:

• Himalayan Mountains in Asia.

• The Alps in Europe.
• The Andes in South America.
 • The Rockies in North America.
• The Urals in Russia.

Fold Mountains are formed when two plates collide head on, and their edges
crumbled, much the same way as a piece of paper folds when pushed together. The
upward folds are known as anticlines, and the downward folds are synclines.
Examples of Fold Mountains include: Himalayan Mountains in Asia.
Q: Examine the primary and secondary effects of an earthquake.[6]

One common primary (or immediate) effect of an earthquake is the

destruction of buildings. The collapse of buildings could in turn lead to
the loss of life. Earthquakes may also cause damage to vital
infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals. In particular, the
damage to roads is more immediate, with emergency response heavily
restricted.

From such primary effects may spawn secondary (or long term)
effects. As a result of the destruction of buildings, the costs of
reconstruction may leave future homes too expensive to insure. Many
people will also be made homeless, and Pakistan where house
insurance is not widespread, this could cause long term problems for
families. An example of this is the Kashmir Earthquake in 2005, where
3.5 million people were rendered homeless. In addition, the loss of
infrastructure may increase the probability of an epidemic spreading.
Q: Explain one cause of an earthquake to Pakistan. [3]

Q: Explain how do fold mountains formed? [3]