Natural Hazard Case Study - Hurricane Mitch

AQA A GCSE Geography Unit 2: Human Geography

Natural Hazard Case Study

Hurricane Mitch

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  • Created by: Jordan
  • Created on: 27-05-13 16:53

Natural Hazard

Hurricane Mitch

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Context

Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras and Nicaragua in October 1998

Honduras:

HDI: 0.57

GNP: $600 per capita

Adult literacy: 73%

Population per doctor: 1266

Nicaragua:

HDI: 0.53

GNP: 380

Adult literacy: 66%

Population per doctor: 2039

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Impacts on Nicaragua

Around 3000 people were killed

Crops failed and 50,000 animals died

70% of roads were unusable and 71 bridges were damaged and destroyed

23,900 houses were destroyed and 17,600 more were damaged

340 schools and 90 health centres were damaged and destroyed

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Impacts on Honduras

Around 7000 people killed

Destroyed 70% of the country's crops e.g. bananas, rice, coffee beans

Around 70-80% of the transport infrastructure was severely damaged

35,000 houses were destroyed and 50,000 more were damaged

20% of schools were damaged, as well as 117 health centres and 6 hospitals

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Set Back Development in Nicaragua

In 1998 GDP grew 4%, which was less than estimated. The rate of growth slowed in the later months of 1998 - after Hurricane Mitch hit.

Exports of rice and corn went down, because crops were damaged. Therefore people earnt less money, so were poorer, and government had less to spend on development

Total damage caused by the hurricane is estimated to be $1.2 billion. Cost of repaires took money away from development

Education of children suffered - number of children that worked increased by 8.1%. Therefore children had a lower quality of life and found it harder to get good jobs later in life

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Set Back Development in Honduras

In 1998 money from agriculture made up 27% of country's GDP. In 2000 fallen to 18% because of damage to crops. This reduced quality of life for people who working in agriculture as they made less money

GDP was estimated to grow 5% in 1998, but only grew 3% due to hurricane. This means there was less money for development than if the hurricane hadn't hit.

Cost of repairing and rebuilding houses, schools and hospitals was estimated to be $439 million, which could have been used to develop the country

All these things set back development - the Honduran President claimed the hurricane destroyed 50 years of progress.

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