Responses to disaster: two events of 2008 contrasted
May 2008, earthquake, 7.9 on the Richter scale, Chinese province of Sichuan
Indian plate pushing northwards against the Eurasian plate
69,000+ people killed, almost 18,000 people missing
4.8 million people homeless
rivers blocked by landslides, 34 formed “quake lakes”
risk of landslides increased by summer rains
Chinese government praised for swift rescue attempts, willingness, openness to foreign aid
Burmese government received criticism for the way it dealt with Cyclone Nargis
hit Burma just weeks before the Sichuan earthquake
134,000+ people killed, 56,000 people missing
approx. $10 billion in damage
human-made disaster - military rulers seemed unaware of scale of disaster, refused international aid at first, only accepting a small amount of aid after two weeks
Aid workers suggested that this response of the Burmese government would result in a final death toll of over a million, far higher than it need have been, as a result of lack of clean water, food, medicine, shelter rather than cyclone