Home Institution

Macalaster College

Publication Date

Spring 2016

Program Name

Nepal: Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples

Abstract

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25th, 2015. This was followed by a second major earthquake of magnitude 7.3 on May 12th , 2015. These disasters took the lives of thousands of Nepali people, destroyed hundreds of thousands of structures, and displaced an estimated two million people. Immediately following the disaster, there was an outpouring of humanitarian aid from around the world. This lead to a conference where $4.1 billion USD of reconstruction funds were pledged to Nepal by international donors. Five months later, a new constitution passed into law and an informal blockade of Indian imports – petroleum products, medicine, and other critical goods – descended upon Nepal. A year after the earthquake, the effects of the political climate and other unique challenges in Nepal have shaped the course of reconstruction. I will explore those factors and seek to understand why Nepal remains in a state of partial destruction, twelve months after disaster struck.

Disciplines

Earth Sciences | Environmental Chemistry | Environmental Sciences | Geography | Human Geography | International and Area Studies | Medical Humanities | Medicinal-Pharmaceutical Chemistry | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nature and Society Relations | Oil, Gas, and Energy | Physical and Environmental Geography

Share

Article Location

 
COinS