Long-term impact of the New Zealand earthquakes - lessons for Nepal?

Research on the long-term impact of the New Zealand earthquakes has strong potential to help inform responses to the recent earthquake in Nepal. Sarb Johal, from the Joint Centre Disaster Research Centre at Massey University, presented two linked papers that explored the long-term recovery processes for healthcare providers and the communities they serve in the aftermath of the earthquakes that occurred in 2010/11 in Christchurch – New Zealand's second most populous city. The earthquake in February 2011, which measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale followed by a series of significant aftershocks, resulted in 185 fatalities and more than 7,500 serious injuries. Altogether, around 92,000 people were exposed to violent ground shaking. Dr Johal presented data from interviews conducted with doctors and nurses from a range of specialities to explore their personal experiences, and those of their patients, two years following the earthquakes.