With a human development index in the top ten in the world, New Zealand is by all means a developed country (UN). It is not a country that one may associate with deadly natural disasters, which we (inaccurately) tend to associate with less developed countries with poor populations and infrastructures. In 2011, however, the city of Christchurch, on New Zealand’s south island was rocked by a powerful earthquake that would claim over 100 lives and cause billions of dollars in damages. The story of the Christchurch quake teaches some powerful lessons about the destructive force of earthquakes.
Around 1:00 pm, on February 22, 2011, Christchurch was struck with a magnitude 6.3 earthquake originating from the Port Hills fault (teara.gov). In a few seconds, over 185 people lost their lives (teara.gov). The human losses were high and the damage to Christchurch and economic impact on New Zealand were simply staggering. Costs due to the earthquake have been estimated to “cost about 15 billion” , roughly 7.5% of New Zealand’s 2011 GDP (Rotheram). Thousands of structures in Christchurch were damaged or destroyed. In fact, Christchurch still has not completely returned to normal. The mayor, for example, has stated that “rebuilding houses could take another two years” (Two Years Later…, news.com.au).
The story of the devastating Christchurch earthquake emphasizes the importance of mitigation strategies for earthquake prone countries. One of the first lessons for mitigation is in the importance of safe structures. In the 2011 quake, the majority of deaths (115) occurred in the CTV building. A government report would later find that the building “did not meet construction standards” needed to withstand quakes (Christchurch collapse building…, the Guardian). As FEMA points out in its guide to earthquake mitigation, “improved building codes” have “tremendous success in reducing earthquake damage” (FEMA).
Another important mitigation strategy that this quake emphasized is the education of people in earthquake prone areas about the risks posed by earthquakes. The United States Geological Survey states that, there is a good chance of a high death toll if “residents are not routinely educated about seismic safety”(USGS). As a matter of fact, the importance of public awareness is emphasized in Christchurch. In 2010, around a year before the 2011 quake, Christchurch experienced a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. Despite significant damage, there were no deaths (Adetunji). This may have lulled residents into a false sense of security, leaving them less prepared to respond to the 2011 quake. People must be aware that earthquakes pose a danger to structures, no matter how safe they may appear to be. They also of course need to know how to respond if an earthquake strikes. The Christchurch earthquake is a tragic lesson about the destructive power of earthquakes. It should highlight the importance of effective mitigation strategies for earthquake prone countries, especially in terms of building codes and education.
Works Cited:
International Human Development Indicators, United Nations Development Programme, http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/NZL.html
“The 2011 Christchurch earthquake”, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/page-13
Fiona Rotheram, “Quake rebuild will eat into GDP” stuff.co.nz http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/rebuilding-christchurch/4984173/Quake-rebuild-will-eat-into-GDP
Author Unknown, “Two years later, Christchurch earthquake recovery remains slow” news.com.au http://www.news.com.au/world-news/two-years-later-christchurch-quake-recovery-slow/story-fndir2ev-1226582311033
Author Unknown, Christchurch earthquake collapse building was substandard”, The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/09/christchurch-quake-ctv-building-substandard
“Earthquake hazard mitigation handbook”, FEMA, http://www.conservationtech.com/FEMA-WEB/FEMA-subweb-EQ/
“The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program in NEHRP – Investing in a Safer Future”, USGS, http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2003/fs017-03/
Jo Adetunji, “Earthquake strikes Christchurch in New Zealand”, The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/04/earthquake-christchurch-new-zealand
Pictures:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_9400000/newsid_9404100/9404177.stm
http://keithwoodford.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/understanding-the-christchurch-earthquake-building-damage/