Every now and then Nature bares its fangs like only it can.  In the process it exposes the helplessness of mankind and asserts itself as the real master.
The devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday is yet another example of how, despite great advances in science and technology, mankind is powerless against Nature’s powerful forces. While death and devastation can be numbing even for distant observers, not to speak of the absolutely life-shattering  physical and mental trauma of those directly affected by such circumstances, it would be pointless if the human race doesn’t learn from such tragedies.
Earthquakes have been the nemesis of scientists. While devastating typhoons, hurricanes and snowfalls can be predicted with considerable accuracy well in advance, thereby preventing massive losses of life and property, earthquakes have proven a bridge too far for experts. Although they have done well to identify seismic regions which carry a high risk of devastation, they still cannot figure out when an earthquake would strike, unless it is a few seconds before the shaking starts.
However, it’s only the richer nations that can afford this technology. In the developing world it would require huge scientific investment which is beyond its means. Even if infrastructure is installed, it would take a massive and expensive campaign to create awareness and get the message across to people so that they can take cover or evacuate before damage is done.
Ironically, the Nepal earthquake happened just after disaster experts met in Kathmandu earlier this month.  All they could forecast was that the next one would probably come in the next couple of decades!
Nepal, and other nations where poverty and illiteracy are rife, therefore need assistance, not just material relief like food, clothing and medical aid after tragedy strikes, but also help in the form of scientific infrastructure.
The systems do not come cheap. Capital investment costs for an early warning system for the entire west coast of the United States would total $38.3bn, the US Geological Survey (USGS) estimated last year, with annual maintenance and operations totalling $16.1mn.
Japan’s early-warning system, operated by the Meteorological Agency, is more extensive. Designed to send alerts to computers, municipal agencies and others when an earthquake will be powerful enough to crack walls, Japan’s system has issued public alerts since 2007. Bullet trains, nuclear reactors, and factories are tied into the system, and shut down automatically when the 2011 Tohoku quake struck, triggering a tsunami that caused a nuclear accident at Fukushima. Cellphone alerts told schoolchildren to take cover.
The system saved “thousands of lives,” Berkeley seismologist Richard Allen told a recent scientific conference.   
It would be a while before such technologies become a reality in Nepal, but that can wait. For now, it needs immediate relief. The official death toll has neared 5,000 and is expected to rise. Families have been wiped out and much of the infrastructure has been damaged beyond repair. A country of hardy, resilient people is facing its worst crisis in history.
The Gulf countries have an additional responsibility. Nepal provides much of the cheap labour force that has built the region’s magnificent roads and buildings and other infrastructure. It’s only in the fitness of things that they contribute generously to Nepal in its hour of need.

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