TWIN EARTHQUAKES HIT WESTERN CHINA ON JULY

22, 201394 Deaths Despite Being Moderate-

Magnitude Events

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna,

Virginia, USA 

RECENT DEADLY EARTHQUAKES IN WESTERN CHINA

• SICHUAN PROVINCE-APRIL 2010: at least 196 people dead.

• QINGHA PROVINCE- 2010: A M6.9 earth-quake killed 2,700 people

• SICHUAN PROVINCE- A M7.9 earthquake in May 2008: 88,000 dead and 56 million buildings damaged

LOCATION OF JULY 22 QUAKES

MAGNITUDES: 5.9 and 5.6

A Shallow Depth of Focus Exacerbated the Damage

The first temblor struck at 7:45 am; Together they

killed 94, injured 1,000, and caused collapse or severe damage to 127,000 homes.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an “all-out” rescue effort and to make saving lives the top

priority

Officials dispatched thousands of police,

firefighters, soldiers and government officials to

search for survivors in an effort to keep loss of life as

low as possible.

TYPICAL DAMAGE

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Rescue efforts were hampered by landslides and

roads which had already been closed as the result of

heavy rain

TEMPORARY MEDICAL FACILITY FOR TREATING INJURIES

EMERGENCY MEDICAL

THE CHALLENGE FACING CHINA’S LEADERS:

Implement a Modern Building Code and

Reassure the People of Their Safety

WAYS TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS TOWARDS WAYS TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS TOWARDS EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCEEARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE

EXPERIENCES WITH PREPAREDNESS

EXPERIENCES WITH MONITORING AND WARNING

EXPERIENCES WITH DISASTER SCENARIO PLANNING

EXPERIENCES WITH RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION

EXPERIENCES WITH PREVENTION, MITIGATION, AND ADAPTATION

INTEGRATE GLOBAL EXPERIENCES WITH THOSE OF SISHUAN EARTHQUAKE

SISHUAN SISHUAN PROVINCEPROVINCE

DATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATION

HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS

•HAZARD MAPS•INVENTORY•VULNERABILITY•LOCATION

MAY 12, 2008 MAY 12, 2008 EARTHQUAKEEARTHQUAKE

RISK

ACCEPTABLE RISK

UNACCEPTABLE RISK

““STAPLE” DECISIONS STAPLE” DECISIONS

•MITIGATION•ADAPTATION•MONITORING

RECONSTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION AND REASSURANCEREASSURANCE

THE CHALLENGE: ACHIEVING DISASTER RESILIENCE AND REASSURANCE OF THE PEOPLE DURING

RECONSTRUCTION

POLICY CHANGE: CREATE, ADJUST, AND REALIGN PROGRAMS, PARTNERS AND PEOPLE UNTIL YOU CAN EFFECT THE KIND OF TURNING POINTS FOR EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE NEEDED BY EACH STRICKEN LOCAL COMMUNITY AND PROVINCE

CREATING TURNING POINTS FOR EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE IN

CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES

INTEGRATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR PREPAREDNESS AND

EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOSTERING THE CREATION OF TURNING

POINTS FOR EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE ON A GLOBAL SCALE

LONGMENSHAN FAULT: SHAKE MAP

THE SISHUAN/WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE THE SISHUAN/WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE

THE KNOWLEDGE BASE

Best Practices for Mitigation Adaptation and Monitoring

Gateways to a Deeper Understanding

Real and Near- Real Time MonitoringHazard, Vulnerability and Risk Characterization

Anticipatory Actions for all Events and Situations

Situation Data Bases

Interfaces with all Real- and Near Real-Time Sources

Cause & Effect Relationships

APPLICATIONS

Implement Modern Codes and Lifeline Standards

Relocation/Rerouting of Cities and City Lifelines

Create a Seismic Zonation Construct (A Policy Tool)

Introduce New Technologies

Move Towards A Disaster Intelligent Community

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Involve Partners in Turning Point Experiences

Enlighten Communities on Their Risks

Build Strategic Equity Through “MAM” Scenarios

Multiply Capability by International Twinning

Update Knowledge Bases After Each MAM Scenario

OPPORTUNITIES FOR TURNING POINTS: OPPORTUNITIES FOR TURNING POINTS: For Mitigation, Adaptation and For Mitigation, Adaptation and Monitoring (MAM) on local, regional, national, and global scalesMonitoring (MAM) on local, regional, national, and global scales

FACTORS THAT FACILITATE GLOBAL TURNING POINTS

• GLOBAL ATTENTION ( G-8, MEDIA, UN, IDRC).• SALIENCE FOR CHINA’S SISHUAN PROVINCE,

OTHER PROVINCES, AND OTHER COUNTRIES• COLLABORATION OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS

AND POLITICAL LEADERS ON MANY LEVELS.• ENACTMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A

MODERN BUILDING CODE AND LIFELINE STANDARDS