EMERGENCY RISK REDUCTION

Many of you have heard about the worst earthquake in 80 years to hit Nepal last week on April 25. At this writing, the death toll is >4000 and climbing. Incredible to see the sudden awesome power of human nature, especially in a setting like the Himalayas. We deal with tragedies in our lives, but most are small.  There’s a sense of loss when it one feels helpless in the shadow of such a large event. 

As I reflect on the death toll, some who were at ‘base camp’ and climbers of Mount Everest, a couple of thoughts come to mind. First, it’s made the news and stayed there partially because of Nepal’s connection with the West. The vast majority of those who climb Everest are westerners who can afford the huge cost, approximately $100K, to prepare, equip, get there, pay fees, climb, return, etc. (I once climbed with a local from the Darjilling area of east India, along the Nepal border, whose dream was to climb Everest. He was unable  because of the volume of Westerners ‘clogging’ the mountain!)  All this to say that the West has an interest in a Nepal tragedy, unlike an event such as, say, massive flooding in Bangladesh.

Secondly, it takes years of preparation, planning, and physical conditioning to assault the world’s highest mountain. But how much thought is given for preparation and planning for an event like the 7.8 earthquake that struck.   It’s not really in our consciousness.   Maybe part of it is that climbers are inherent ‘risk-takers’. Ok, we all take risks, because this is life. Otherwise, we didn’t get out of bed this morning — which has its own risks, by the way!  You may ask, “But what can we do against this earthquake?” You are correct that there’s not much, but then, how often are we in a tent at a base camp at the foot of Mount Everest when a 7.8 quake hits? Our lives are largely spent in our homes, workplaces, travelling, etc. This is where we mitigate our risks – everyday, commonplace risks.

The good news is that we often mitigate these risks without even knowing it. You snapped your seat belt today before traveling out into traffic, and thought nothing of it. Hopefully it’s a habit. The bad news is that we don’t have a good track record of mitigating risks in the ordinary aspects of our lives — small and large. We need more “habits” such as the seat belt. We begin by accessing the consequential risks where we live. Here in coastal, western Canada, earthquake is more of a risk than, say, a hurricane. Or flooding if we live a flood plain. In a home on a mountainside, the risk may be landslide or avalanche – possibly impacted by the same excessive water. 

When we hear of a tragically sad event as the earthquake in Nepal, I encourage us to get involved. Support the charity of choice, since most of us cannot stop everything, go, and assist – even if we have the skill sets.  Stay informed, even after the event has left the media coverage. Recovery takes literally years, even decades. And most importantly, let’s be reminded to look at our own lives and see the little things that we can do to eliminate, reduce, or prepare for hazards that might come our way.  With this effort, the tragic deaths of so many will not have been in vain.

Thanks for reading.

Monty