tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2532313388110978122.post2735835093728785554..comments2023-10-28T00:47:18.069-07:00Comments on Weeks Population: It Will Take Time to Put Nepal Back TogetherJohn Weekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04069566137451684355noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2532313388110978122.post-33798632989207419252015-05-06T16:47:31.153-07:002015-05-06T16:47:31.153-07:00Prof. Weeks ... INDEED! The first thought that po...Prof. Weeks ... INDEED! The first thought that popped into my head when you mentioned the cholera risk in Nepal - was the situation in Haiti after their quake. And as you know well, those refugees in Haiti remained in sub-standard camps for years. In fact, Haiti probably still has people living in those grimy conditions. <br /><br />The situation in Kathmandu is troubling because experts KNEW it was coming. They did not know the exact timing of the earthquake. But the quake risk was well known, and the U.N. had warned the Nepalese authorities many times about potential loss of life due to inadequate building standards. So the city was a "disaster waiting to happen". Unfortunately, in a third world situation it's pretty much impossible to control how people are building their houses. Low-income residents just use whatever is available ... there is nothing else that they can do. Now the Nepal Quake has unfolded, and the consequences are dire and long-term for the affected residents. <br /><br />I do not want this to sound like a "put-down" of Nepal. We in the Western world are just as vulnerable. Los Angeles is well overdue for a major shake on the San Andreas. The Big One will do a LOT of damage, and probably will cause significant loss of life. People in L.A. are woefully unprepared for this major event. Oregon and Washington are also well overdue for a major quake (Cascadia Fault, magnitude 8-9) and a tidal wave. The expected loss of life could easily be 5,000-20,000 people. <br /><br />As I said earlier -- its demographics. Your specialty. We are living on a crowded planet and there are too many people in the high-risk zones. Computer projections show casualty figures from these disasters in the 21'st century will grow exponentially. Sadly, our ability to RESPOND to those needs is lagging far behind. <br /><br />Pete Pollock, Redondo Beach, CAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com