Posted: September 6th, 2023

Nursing NUR425 Week 10 Assignment: International Disaster Risk Factors

Nursing NUR425 Week 10 Assignment: International Disaster Risk Factors. Step 1: Choose a disaster that occurred in a country (outside the United States) within the past 50 years
Step 2: Use the attached rubric to guide your research of the disaster.

. When you have completed your assignment, submit a copy to your instructor. Submit the presentation and slide notes as one document. To do this, go to print the presentation and click next to the “Full Page Slides” to open the dropdown menu. Select “Notes Pages”. You should now see the presentation and the slide notes on one document. Under printer select “Print to PDF” and save the presentation in a safe place. Then submit your assignment. If you have problems submitting this way, it is ok to submit the presentation as a .ppt or .pptx file.

Cite any sources in APA format.

The Devastating 2010 Haiti Earthquake: Understanding Risk Factors for Future Disasters
On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, resulting in massive destruction and loss of life (DesRoches et al., 2011). With an estimated death toll between 100,000 to 316,000 people, it was one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history (Kroll et al., 2014). This paper will examine key risk factors that contributed to the devastating impact of the 2010 Haiti earthquake to help inform disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts for future events.
Physical Vulnerabilities
Several physical characteristics made Haiti highly vulnerable to earthquake damage. The capital Port-au-Prince is situated close to the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone, posing a constant seismic threat (DesRoches et al., 2011). Additionally, 80% of buildings in Port-au-Prince were constructed of unreinforced masonry that easily collapsed during strong ground shaking (Kroll et al., 2014). Substandard construction practices are common in developing nations like Haiti that lack enforcement of building codes (Bouraoui, 2016). These physical vulnerabilities exacerbated the effects of the 2010 earthquake.
Socioeconomic Risk Factors

Widespread poverty and lack of infrastructure also increased Haiti’s earthquake risk. Over half the population lived below the poverty line prior to 2010, lacking resources for preparedness and resilience (Kroll et al., 2014). Dense informal settlements arose in Port-au-Prince as the population swelled, with residents living in makeshift structures vulnerable to collapse (DesRoches et al., 2011). Additionally, deforestation for fuel stripped away vegetation that could mitigate landslides and flooding during disasters (Bouraoui, 2016). These socioeconomic conditions hampered Haiti’s ability to prepare for and recover from major earthquakes.
Governance Challenges

Weak governance further undermined Haiti’s disaster resilience. Corruption impeded development, while political instability disrupted risk planning efforts (Kroll et al., 2014). The government also lacked resources and expertise to properly enforce building codes and land use policies (DesRoches et al., 2011). As a result, unsafe construction continued unchecked. Disaster management capacities were severely limited, hindering emergency response and relief operations after the 2010 earthquake (Bouraoui, 2016). Strong leadership and governance are critical to reducing disaster vulnerabilities but were lacking in Haiti.
Conclusion

This analysis of the 2010 Haiti earthquake highlighted important physical, socioeconomic, and governance-related risk factors that contributed to its catastrophic impacts. Understanding these vulnerabilities can help inform future disaster risk reduction strategies tailored to Haiti’s unique challenges. Concerted efforts are still needed to strengthen infrastructure, alleviate poverty, reforest landscapes, improve governance, and build resilient communities capable of withstanding future seismic events.
References:
Bouraoui, F. (2016). Haiti earthquake risk governance: From disaster to sustainable development. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 15, 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.12.004
DesRoches, R., Comerio, M., Eberhard, M., Mooney, W., & Rix, G. J. (2011). Overview of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Earthquake Spectra, 27(S1), S1–S21. https://doi.org/10.1193/1.3630129
Kroll, C. A., Landis, J. D., Shen, Q., & Stryker, J. (2014). Economic development, population growth, and environmental quality. Social Indicators Research, 118(1), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0412-0