Life In A Ticking Time Bomb

It is said that a major earthquake in the Kathmandu Valley could dwarf Haiti. In fact, according to the recent security briefings all us UNDP Nepal newbies just received, Kathmandu is the most at risk city in the world to earthquakes. Geological history indicates that an earthquake of such scale will occur every 75-100 years (a pattern which has held for about 1000 years). We are currently on year 79. Analysis: I have moved to a time bomb. 

So we’ve been getting the earthquake preparedness rundown. You know, the whole: drop cover and hold business. We’ve been instructed to have our emergency “go bags” with essential supplies, medical kits, water, travel documents, etc. ready to grab and get out when the looming earthquake does hit. We’re to stay indoors, wherever we are, and cover to the best of our ability until the shaking stops, then grab our go bags and get out, heading to the nearest open space where crumbling building, falling trees and power lines cannot harm us. Now, I don’t know if you have been paying attention to my photos of Kathmandu, or if you have ever been to Kathmandu, but I can assure you that in this cramped Asian city NO such place exists! 

Not exactly structurally sound

The new apartment is quite close to the UN compound, and that’s the “safe” area we’re supposed to try and get to. So, basically, what I have garnered from the massive download of information of the past couple days is that, in the event of a major earthquake (which experts estimate would level at least 60% of the buildings in Kathmandu and cause upwards of 300,000 casualties) I am to cover myself, and if the structure I am in remains standing, and I survive the initial shock, I am to grab my bag, get out and run down the street (likely while aftershocks roll across the city), trying to dodge the intensely sketchy and shoddily constructed building that will surely be falling all around me and hopefully make it to the UN. Through from there, who knows. The city of nearly 3 million has…8 fire trucks, not all of which are functional (some of them were “donated” from the U.K., which after seeing them I take to mean: dumped here from the 18^th century), and few ambulances. Telecommunications will nearly all be down, and bridges connecting the city will likely have collapsed…meaning getting out of the city by air or land may not be possible. Long story short, this is the message we have gotten: “If we get a huge earthquake, which, by the way, we will, SOON, we are all screwed. Good luck! And welcome to Nepal, we hope you have a wonderful experience!”

Talk about a warm welcome :)

"We are going down here, if the earthquake happens in the next half hour, we will die." Direct quote.

This place, like many others, is going down, for obvious reasons

Surveying potential damage during our earthquake walk