Social, Cultural and Economic Impacts of Earthquakes

Social - social impacts are the effect of an activity on the social fabric of the community and well-being
of the individuals and families.

 Death of people
o People may get killed from falling buildings and other objects since the geological
foundations on which these structures are built are weakened from the energy released
by earthquakes. Death of people brings emotions such as fear, shock, sadness and anger
to Family members and friends.
 Homes get destroyed some completely destroyed, and people are left homeless
o they will not have access some of the basic needs of life such as shelter, clothing, food
 Damage to infrastructure such as transport networks (roads, bridges), water pipes, utility poles
and facilities such as health, education
o These facilities and infrastructure will be inaccessible and in some cases for long periods
of time. People may be unable to go to work and provide for themselves and their
families and also carry out their daily life activities. Persons will also not have access to
services such as water and electricity which are essential.
 The Agricultural industry may be impacted
o Agriculture relies on public infrastructure, especially for power and transportation, that
is likely to suffer disruptions following earthquakes
o buildings / factories where farm production and the associated marketing and
processing activities are located may get damaged by seismic activity
o Persons who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods will be affected.
o This will limit the availability of agricultural food in the country and cause prices in local
markets to increase dramatically, thus making food, which is basic need of life, difficult
to obtain.
 Persons have nowhere to unite as buildings they often socialized in are broken down

Economic - effects on the level of economic activity in a given area.

 Commercial buildings such as shops, businesses, factories, government buildings can get
damaged
o There will be economic challenges because the inflows of revenue will be disrupted
whether it is tax collections or through the business activities.
 Unemployment increases as people cannot work due to loss of their workplaces
o They will not be able to contribute to taxes
o Dependency ratio will increase, placing a heavier burden on the economy and resources
of the country
 Reconstruction of buildings and restoration of disrupted facilities after damages such as schools,
government buildings, health facilities and is costly
o This also increases the strain on the country’s economy and affects national budget
because planned spending’s will have to be diverted to recovery and restoration.
Cultural –

 Institutions which guide behavior such as schools and churches can get damaged
 Important natural and human landmarks can get destroyed
 Buildings/places where persons practice their religions (which gave them a sense of belonging)
can get damaged (Religion is a cultural system of designated behaviors and practices,
worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that relates
humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements)