Introduction to Nepal

The small country of Nepal houses the famed Mount Everest. It is situated in Southeast Asia between China and India and lies in the Himalayas. It has a population of approximately 29.7 million people, over 80% of whom are Hindu. The terrain is varied, including lowlands, foothills, valleys, and, of course, the Himalayan mountain range. Nepal is subject to a range of hazards including earthquakes, floods and landslides - shockingly, according to the World Bank, they are the second most vulnerable country in the world. The catastrophic 2015 earthquake killed thousands and damaged over 600,000 homes. The poverty of this country means that disasters and catastrophes cause many more deaths than they may in other countries that have more economic stability. 


Hazards vs Disasters vs Catastrophes


A natural hazard is a natural process such as an earthquake or hurricane that could potentially cause damage to human life or property.

A natural disaster is a hazardous event which occurs within a limited time span, in a defined area and one of the following occurs

  • 10 or more people are killed 
  • 100 or more people are affected
  • a state of emergency is declared 
  • international assistance is requested

A catastrophe is a massive natural disaster that costs a significant amount of money and time - years - to recover from.  


https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/nepal/overview


https://www.infoplease.com/atlas/asia/nepal-map


https://www.raonline.ch/pages/np/nat/np_geology02.html


https://www.businessinsider.com/nepal-earthquake-death-toll-2015-4


https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/150425-nepal-earthquake-faults-geology-science


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