Impacts and Insights of the Gorkha Earthquake

Impacts and Insights of Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal offers a practical perspective on disaster risk management using lessons learned and considerations from the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, which was the worst disaster to hit Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. Using a holistic approach to examine seismicity, risk perception and intervention, the book serves as a detailed case study to improve disaster resilience globally, including social, technical, governmental and institutional risk perception, as well as scientific understanding of earthquake disasters. Covering the details of the Gorkha earthquake, including damage mapping and recovery tactics, the book offers valuable insights into ways forward for seismologists, earthquake researchers and engineers and policy-makers.

• Includes the latest status of seismic risk, risk perception, to-date interventions and historical scenarios in Nepal
• Examines details of Gorkha earthquake, including geo-seismicity, damage statistics, casualties, effect on cultural heritage, gender-risk mechanics, case studies of social institutions, urban-risk mechanics, rural-risk mechanics, resilience dimensions, social institutions in risk management, stories of resilience and failures and a critical review of efficacy of interventions in risk mitigation
• Offers future insights and ways forward in terms of risk reduction studies, socio-cultural dimensions of risk management, scientific intervention and policy making, implementation of existing frameworks and endorsement of resilient practices for Nepal
• Includes damage mapping in all affected areas

Disaster risk reduction professionals/researchers; structural earthquake engineers/researchers, anthropological researchers; Planners/policy makers, interdisciplinary researchers

Chapter 1 Revisiting Major Historical Earthquakes in Nepal: Overview of 1833, 1934, 1980, 1988, 2011, and 2015 Seismic Events
Hemchandra Chaulagain, Dipendra Gautam and Hugo Rodrigues

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Historic Earthquakes in Nepal
1.3 Revisiting Strong to Major Earthquakes in Nepal
1.4 Earthquake Impacts in Nepal: Multidisciplinary Perspectives
1.5 Final Remarks

Chapter 2 Seismotectonic and Engineering Seismological Aspects of the Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, Earthquake
Rajesh Rupakhety

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Seismotectonics and Seismicity
2.3 Source Models and the Rupture Process 
2.4 Spatiotemporal Distribution of Aftershocks
2.5 Ground Motion Characteristics
2.6 Conclusions

Chapter 3 Seismic Performance of Buildings in Nepal After the Ghorka Earthquake
Humberto Varum, Rakesh Dumaru, André Furtado, André R. Barbosa, Dipendra Gautam and Hugo Rodrigues

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Performance of Reinforced Concrete Buildings
3.3 Performance of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings
3.4 Vernacular and Rural Constructions
3.5 Other Building Types
3.6 Conclusion

Chapter 4 Response and Rehabilitation of Historic Monuments After the Gorkha Earthquake
Kai Weise, Dipendra Gautam and Hugo Rodrigues

4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Previous Earthquake: 1934 Great Nepal Bihar Earthquake
4.3 Preparing for the Next Events
4.4 The 2015 Gorkha Earthquake: Immediate Response
4.5 Initial Assessment and PDNA
4.6 Challenges of Establishing a Rehabilitation Strategy
4.7 Post Disaster Recovery Framework and Ongoing Rehabilitation
4.8 Structural Damage Assessments after Gorkha Earthquake
4.9 Implementation Procedures: The Checklist
4.10 Comparison to the Chauk Earthquake in Bagan
4.11 Overview of Lessons to Be Learned
4.12 Conclusion

Chapter 5 Risk Management, Response, Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction, and Future Disaster Risk Reduction
Amod M. Dixit, Surya N. Shrestha, Ramesh Guragain, Bishnu H. Pandey, Khadga S. Oli, Sujan R. Adhikari, Surya P. Acharya, Ganesh K. Jimee, Bijay K. Upadhyaya, Surya B. Sangachhe, Nisha Shrestha, Suman Pradhan, Ranjan Dhungel, Pramod Khatiwada, Ayush Baskota, Achyut Poudel, Maritess Tandingan, Niva U. Mathema, Bhuwaneshwori Parajuli, Gopi K. Basyal, Suresh Chaudhary, Govinda R. Bhatta and Narayan Marasini

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Decades of Earthquake Risk Management Efforts in Nepal
5.3 The Gorkha Earthquake: Impact and Response
5.4 Reconstruction
5.5 Future Disaster Risk Reduction for Nepal
 5.6 Conclusions

Chapter 6 Improving the Nepalese Building Code Based on Lessons Learned From the 2015 M7.8 Gorkha Earthquake
Uddhav Karmacharya, Vítor Silva, Svetlana Brzev and Luís Martins

6.1 Introduction
6.2 The Reinforced Concrete Building Portfolio in Nepal
6.3 Earthquake Damage Observations
6.4 Assessment of the Seismic Vulnerability
6.5 Proposed Wall Index for Nepal
6.6 Final Remarks

Chapter 7 Past and Future of Earthquake Risk Reduction Policies and Intervention in Nepal
Dipendra Gautam

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Earthquake Risk Reduction Policies and Interventions in Nepal: Overview and Critiques
7.3 The Way Forward
7.4 Final Remarks